Beckham Has Chance to Impress Watching Capello at Milan

David Beckham will have an opportunity to impress Fabio Capello first-hand this evening and secure a call-up for next month's friendly against Spain, with the England coach due to attend the Serie A match between Milan and Genoa.

Capello has spoken glowingly of the 33-year-old's impact since moving to San Siro on a two-month loan from Los Angeles Galaxy, a transfer which has enhanced Beckham's chances of equaling Sir Bobby Moore's outfield record of 108 caps against the European champions in Seville on 11 February. The England coach had made it clear to the veteran midfielder that he would only be considered for the national team if he was playing regularly, and well, for a club side, prompting Beckham to seek this loan move during the Major League Soccer close season.

"I advised [the Milan owner Silvio] Berlusconi to get him and I will see him play against Genoa," said Capello in an interview with the television channel Italia 1. "He [Beckham] will have to thank the Rossoneri if he gets a call-up to the national team because they are letting him play. Tactically he is very strong and he is a serious professional. But it is clear that if he hadn't gone to Milan he would not have [a chance of being] called up."

Such has been Beckham's impact since joining Milan – for whom he scored his first goal, on his third appearance, against Bologna at the weekend – that there remains the strong possibility that the Italian club will attempt to extend his loan deal beyond 9 March, when he had been due back in Los Angeles ahead of the new MLS campaign. Capello has made it clear since becoming national coach that reputations count for little when it comes to his team selection, with a player's recent form more critical to whether he earns a call-up. In that respect, the former captain is playing himself into contention.

Beckham has been employed as one of a midfield three, at times dropping deep where he has not been hindered by his relative lack of pace but Milan can tap into his ability to fire accurate passes. "David is doing very well," added Capello. "[The Milan head coach Carlo] Ancelotti doesn't give anything away so if he [Beckham] is playing it means that he deserves to. I'm happy for Milan and I'm happy for the national team that he is playing and doing well. Probably the role he has been playing for them better suits him as he hasn't got the pace these days to go one-on-one with players."

Capello's willingness to turn to players currently enjoying fruitful form for their clubs is likely to offer the likes of Everton's Phil Jagielka, so impressive in his side's recent Merseyside derbies with Liverpool, and the full-back Luke Young of Aston Villa recalls to the national set-up should they maintain their level of performance in the build-up to the game in Seville. Jagielka has not played for his country since the 3–0 win in Trinidad & Tobago last June but has recently excelled at the heart of the Everton defence.

Young, capped seven times and a key member of a resurgent Villa side brimming with young English talent, has been employed at left-back recently and his versatility will appeal to Capello. Indeed, Villa could contribute a number of players to the squad, with the Italian known to have been impressed by James Milner and Curtis Davies, while Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young, Emile Heskey and Gareth Barry are likely to feature.