The friendly against Switzerland will give the former England captain the chance to earn his 100th cap.

However, new coach Fabio Capello, who will name his first squad on Saturday, would prefer to hand the right midfield spot to Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips or Blackburn's David Bentley.

'I'm as fit as I can be and ready to be selected,' said Beckham, 32, who has not played for the Los Angeles Galaxy since October.

His last competitive game was when he came on as a substitute for England in their 2-3 defeat by Croatia at Wembley on Nov 21.

However, he has been training with Arsenal.

'I have been training with one of the fittest teams in Europe, but it's out of my hands now,' he said. 'To get picked to play for my country is always special and because it's my 100th game, it makes it extra special. It would mean the world.'

Only Peter Shilton, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Billy Wright have made a century of England appearances.

There is mounting suspicion that the Football Association is leaning on Capello to pick Beckham. The Wembley game next Wednesday is sold out, thanks in part to the possibility that it would be the midfielder's valedictory night.

Capello, however, wants to send out a message that no one has a divine right to being called up and that England will not be influenced by commercial sentiments.

None of the members of the hundred club would have expected to be picked for sentimental reasons.

Shilton would have accumulated even more than his record 125 caps had it not been for the world-class competition from Ray Clemence, wrote The Guardian.

Moore and Wright reached 108 and 105 appearances respectively in an age when there were fewer international matches and no cheap caps to be picked up on the way on or off the substitutes' bench.

And even if Beckham says he is fit, how can he be?

After visiting Sierra Leone last week at the behest of Unicef, he is now in Brazil to open the first 'David Beckham World of Sport', a sports complex designed and planned with his input.

At least he admitted that it was right for the coach to pick only the best players.

'You are wasting your time trying to read his mind,' Beckham said. 'He doesn't treat any player any different in the team or in the squad. That is a good thing.'

Meanwhile, the FA yesterday announced that Stuart Pearce will become part of Capello's coaching team.

The former England defender will work alongside the Italian with the senior team, starting in next week's friendly against Switzerland. He will also continue as the England Under-21 coach.

He has been tipped as a future coach of the senior team.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS