ASSURANCES from some sections of the media that David Beckham will be awarded his 100th England cap by the end of this season appear to have sprung from an assumption, as opposed to any utterances made by the national team manager, Fabio Capello.
The claim that the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player is "in contention" for the team to play France in a friendly in Paris on 26 March hardly squares with the ever more distracted celebrity's current fitness; or with the ever-present di
fficulty of relating his level of form with LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the US – if he ever actually plays – to the immeasurably more rigorous demands of international football in Europe.
When pressed on the subject of Beckham and the so-called magical 100th appearance, Capello's reply could not be construed as confirmation that the milestone will be reached. "He will get his 100th cap if he is fit and in form," said the Italian.
With the MLS season scheduled to kick off three days after the France match, there is something faintly absurd about the intention of Capello to send his general manager, Franco Baldini, to Pizza Hut Park in Texas to assess the fitness and form of Beckham in Galaxy's friendly with FC Dallas. His appearance in that game is not guaranteed, either, as he was removed after 70 minutes of his club's latest match on a tour of China because he felt his right leg stiffening after taking a kick on the thigh.
Capello is not renowned for allowing sentimentality to influence his work and if Beckham is to join the 100 Club, his membership, despite the best efforts of his supporters in the media, will have to be earned, rather than granted for ceremonial reasons.
The full article contains 302 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
