Beckham is in Milan to Play - and Please Capello

One particular photograph beamed back last week from AC Milan's training camp in Dubai must have made their transfer maestro, Adriano Galliani, shudder with happiness. Is it possible to find a hat-trick of more charming, handsome, role-model footballers rubbing shoulders in the same team than Kaká, David Beckham and Paolo Maldini?

Back in Italy, even Francesco Totti is among the admirers of Milan's famous addition. "I like Beckham a lot and I like his wife. They are two very attractive people," he observed.

Nobody at Milan could sensibly deny the notion that Beckham has checked into the San Siro to be a human clotheshorse. But he has also come to play.

Much has been made about what this deal is worth to Milan, but it is important to measure what makes it worthwhile to Beckham. While it is a spectacular accomplishment to have Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan on your CV, Beckham's other motive is to impress another important Italian. If Beckham strikes a chord in Serie A, then he strikes a chord with Fabio Capello.

Beckham last played a competitive game when LA Galaxy drew with FC Dallas last October, since when, to put it into perspective, Frank Lampard has played 15 times. Local pundits expect the former England captain to be on show for most of the Serie A matches during his two-month stay, and with the winter break ending this weekend he may feature in Italy's game of the day today, when Milan visit Roma. "It's a big game to start off with," said Beckham. Just a bit.

In a way Carlo Ancelotti will be doing himself a favor by selecting Beckham as soon as possible, so he can put an end to the speculation about where and how the midfielder is going to be accommodated in the team. Milan's coach has been grilled about it enough already. Picking Beckham alongside the host of ball players at Milan's disposal hardly seems rational, but Ancelotti might even include all the fantasistas - Kaká, Ronaldinho, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, Alexandre Pato and the new poster boy.

"Milan have often started winning cycles by playing many offensive players together," Ancelotti said. "It's necessary for everyone to sacrifice themselves but it's certainly worth a try."

Ronaldinho concurs: "Beckham is special. He has a way of kicking the ball with such precision and power that no other midfielder has. He is one of the best in the world, and Milan are made up of intelligent players who know they need to make sacrifices if they want to play together and have fun."

Roma's Totti wants Ancelotti to bring it on: "Let's hope that he decides to field all of his big-name players together. That could be an advantage for us because the team would be unbalanced."

If it sounds as though Milan could turn into a more glamorous version of Ossie Ardíles's ill-starred "famous five" experiment at Tottenham, in reality Ancelotti is likely to rotate his squad, adding Massimo Ambrosini or Mathieu Flamini to do some of the leg-work. Perhaps the attacking players will take it in turns to sit out a game.

Beckham's arrival gives Milan the chance to rest the pivotal Pirlo occasionally. "That's not a problem for me. We can give it a go," the midfield kingpin said diplomatically. It does seem risky to play them together, with Beckham on the right of the midfield trident that Pirlo usually orchestrates, as was the case in Beckham's first outing in Dubai. That position normally belongs to Gennaro Gattuso, but he is out injured and Beckham is hardly a like-for-like replacement.

The main problem for Beckham is that the free-kick department is virtually a no-go area, despite Ronaldinho's praise. Pirlo is No1 for dead balls, Ronaldinho is his deputy. Then there is Kaká. Beckham may be allowed to take some corners.

If Beckham can help Milan to reassert themselves in Serie A - they restart the campaign nine points off the pace set by Inter - his European sojourn should include a trip to Spain next month to pull on the England jersey for the 108th time.

His last few appearances have been limited to cameos. Nobody expects him to be the most influential performer any more and he is used to being sent on during the last 15 minutes. Normally he has replaced Theo Walcott, but with the Arsenal teenager injured, his old position could be up for grabs from the start. Capello can easily keep a closer watch than relying on reports from Ray Clemence's transatlantic missions.

Beckham a starter for AC Milan and England? Surely that is more than he could have dreamed of when he signed his career away to the MLS.