Beckham's cameo for Milan showed exactly why Capello will take him to the World Cup

By Martin Lipton in

Published 11:45 11/03/10

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So you want to know why David Beckham will go to the World Cup?

That's why!

Beckham's final Old Trafford bow may have only lasted 25  minutes or so, but in a Milan team that represented a Night of the Living Dead selection, he was the one outbreak of vibrancy.

As his colleagues gave up the ghost, Beckham was determined to rekindle memories of his Manchester United pomp, before etching himself further into folklore by picking up the Green and Gold scarf thrown from the Stretford End and placing it round his neck.

More importantly, and simply emphasising why Fabio Capello will name Becks in his World Cup 23, was what he gave his side despite the circumstances.

We all know about that right foot, the one that has always been his biggest weapon, although if reminders were required they came with the series of crosses that Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe or Peter Crouch will be busting their guts to get on the end of in Rustenburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

But it was his calmness in possession, tactical discipline and sheer spirit that stood out once again.

As Beckham himself constantly reminds us, he hasn't lost the pace to compete in a sprinting contest with Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips - he never had it in the first place.

Yet when it comes to keeping the ball, to taking the simple option, retaining the shape and focusing the game, who would be the better bet in the final 15 minutes against France?

Capello has no intention of stating Beckham in any of the matches this summer. That is not the plan and Beckham himself has long accepted he will only begin a match if there are injuries and suspensions forcing emergency decisions.

Where old Goldenballs does feature is in the same cameo role he took for Milan.

Capello knows that referees remain in thrall to the superstars of the game and while Beckham's star is in the descendant, he is not some washed-out Norma Desmond. He still has that "WOW" factor.

That means three free-kicks for "fouls" in the 15 minutes he is on the pitch.

Not only three chances to score - Beckham's delivery remains the best in the squad while John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Crouch and now of course Wayne Rooney are major aerial threats - but also a brilliant and legitimate way of consuming time.

If England are a goal up, given Beckham's elaborate set-up procedure - football's Jonny Wilkinson - a good six of those minutes will be eaten up by his preamble, time that will never be added on.

It is a little cynical, yes. But nobody will care if the end result is another England victory, a further journey along the path to July 11 in Soccer City.

Of course, while Becks' emotional return captured the imagination, the story that mattered was final proof of Milan's demise and the sheer scale of the chasm between this incarnation of the San Siro side and United's incisive determination.

While rookie coach Leonardo - that looks like rookie ex-coach the way things are going - has inherited and stuck with a team of grumpy old men, Fergie, while retaining the links with the past in the shape of Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, has always believed in continual renewal.

There was no questioning which policy was vindicated.

United were first to every ball, sharper in every tackle, more hungry from first kick to last, even though they were able to ease back through the gears from early on as they realised the Serie A giants were a busted flush.

It was, if anything, an even easier victory than Arsenal's 5-0 mauling of pitiful Porto on Tuesday, further evidence of the advantage the sheer physicality required to prosper in the Premier League gives English sides when they venture into Europe.

Yet just a couple of months after they looked leggy and limp at Birmingham and were embarrassed by Leeds in the FA Cup, United now look like the form team of Europe, with Rooney the magician at the heart of everything.

The irony of Rooney leading United to the last eight and closer to a date at the Bernabeu on May 22 even as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and £200million of summer investment at Real Madrid counted for nothing against Lyons was not lost amid the euphoria of the effortless triumph.

Beckham - and in the first half Ronaldinho - were the only Milan players who looked fit to keep company with United.

That says it all, really. But even the Beckham doubters must now acknowledge that he is more than just a show pony.

Capello, who does not do sentiment, is hardly likely to make sentimental choices. Beckham will travel because he has a big part to play. And play it he will.

Man United 4-0 AC Milan: Daily Mirror match report  

Short of Fergie wearing green and gold in the dug out, Becks' show of support was as big as it gets for the anti Glazer campaign

Green and Goldenballs as Beckham returns to his Theatre of Dreams - Oliver Holt on the prodigal son's homecoming

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