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STILL USEFUL: At 33, David Beckham will be relying more on his experience and less on his legs as his bids to retain his place in Fabio Capello's England squad. -- PHOTO: AP
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LONDON - DAVID Beckham should win his 100th cap for England in today's friendly against France, but he does not want his international career to end just yet.
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, who turns 33 in May, admits the Stade de France game might be his final curtain call, because of the emergence of Blackburn's 23-year-old right-winger David Bentley.
But Beckham has not become a global icon without developing a keen sense of his own worth - and is willing to entertain the prospect of being given super-sub status in the future, as long as he stays in the team.
Joining Billy Wright, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton in England's elite 100-cap club would not give Beckham any special status with coach Fabio Capello, but his experience might.
'There are a lot of young players coming through, good players, and you have to accept sometimes that you're not going to start. But you'll accept anything if you're still part of the squad,' he said.
'I'm a very passionate person about playing for my country and I want that to continue as long as possible, whether I'm a squad player, a sub or a player who comes on and takes a free kick.
'I have been playing for England for 11 years and I have the experience. I've got a few more wrinkles now, maybe. But even if I don't play some games, I've got the experience to talk to the squad.
'As much as you want to look to the future, the past is also important.'
Capello's iron rule over the England camp showed no signs of softening this week as he put his players through their paces in the snow at Arsenal's training ground.
He demanded those involved in Sunday's big Premier League matches report on time, and every one did - there were no last-minute injuries.
'I doubt whether Rio Ferdinand will be joining up with the England squad,' claimed Alex Ferguson before Manchester United's clash with Liverpool on Sunday.
But the defender showed up, and was handed the captain's armband for today's game ahead of Chelsea's John Terry and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.
They were all excused from Monday's main session, but it went so well that Capello demanded:
'Why can't you play like this for your country? As soon as you play in front of 80,000 people, you play with fear.
'Why can you play like this in training and not in a match situation?'
While the Italian will demand maximum effort from England, France's players seem less enamoured of an unwanted distraction during the climax of domestic campaigns across Europe.
Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Louis Saha, Bacary Sagna and Karim Benzema are all sidelined, leaving Beckham the centre of attention. For one more time at least.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
France v England
Live, Ch22, tomorrow, 3.
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