England boss McClaren risks all on Beckham

McClaren's assessment of Beckham's form and fitness for a match England must win to keep the coach in his job has been derived from what he has viewed on television and videotape.

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Beckham, who was 32 earlier this month, has been capped 94 times but was discarded by McClaren in his first major act as England boss nine months ago.

The former Manchester United star returns for Friday's Wembley showpiece against Brazil and the crucial European Championship qualifier against Estonia in Tallinn on June 6.

McClaren admitted: "I had planned to go to see him but circumstances prevailed against it. I know what he can do. I've watched every game he has played, on tape and on television.

"He brings a passion to England that we've been lacking in recent matches. David is in the squad because his form is good and I think he can help us win in Estonia. I always plan for the long term but I try to win in the short . . . and that's the most important thing, to get the players together and win in Estonia.

"The way he's playing, he is fit and strong. I know that from the evidence I've got from Madrid and he can help us win in Estonia. I've had a meeting with him and the most important thing is knowing that he still wants to play for his country."

The midfielder was named in a 26-man squad. The Brazil game will be Beckham's first for his country since the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Portugal in Germany last summer, after which he resigned the captaincy.

That decision was followed a month later by his omission from McClaren's first squad, when John Terry took over as skipper.

Now, after a patchy qualification campaign, anything but a win for England in Tallinn would severely damage hopes of reaching the finals in Austria and Switzerland next summer. The recall underlines the coach's desperation to find a winning formula.

Before his recent resurgence with Real, Beckham, rejected by both club and country, had looked finished at the highest level. But the recall gives him cause to believe that he may realise his dream of 100 caps.

For that to happen, however, McClaren would have to include Beckham in his future planning, even though he will be playing only showbiz soccer in the United States after moving to LA Galaxy this summer. McClaren insisted, though, that was a possibility.

"This is not a short-term fix," he declared. "I'm not dismissing anything. I didn't a year ago and I'm not now. I'm planning for the future and for qualifying but I can't think beyond Estonia. We have to win that one — end of story."

Beckham's England career could be prolonged if he managed to secure a loan to a Premiership club when his season with LA Galaxy ends in November.

Sam Allardyce, Newcastle United's new manager, yesterday hinted at such a move when he said: "It would certainly be something I would try to do if I thought there was any chance of it happening. I'm a great admirer of Beckham and I know he could still do a job at the highest level."

McClaren refused to accept that the recall amounted to a climbdown over his original decision to drop Beckham.

"I did say at the time that I would never close the door on any player," said the coach. "You never know when you will need players like him if they hit form or there are injuries. It's all about winning games for England and getting the players I believe will do that. He's performing well and I believe he's playing well and will strengthen the team.

"The situation changes with every game, changes every time we come together.

"The reaction to bringing back David will be divided between 'that's a brave one' and 'that's a stupid one'. If things go wrong, there will be criticism. I know that. It's part and parcel of the job.

"The most important thing for me is picking the players capable of beating Estonia.

"Brazil is obviously a big game but it's just preparation for Estonia. We have to win that and I think that will set us up nicely for the next five qualifying games — four at home and one away. It's up to us what we do after that."

Beckham's recall was considered as far back as February after the 1-0 defeat by Spain at Old Trafford.

McClaren added: "We re-assessed the situation then and looked at possibilities for changing things around because that was a big disappointment.

"We felt things needed changing and David came into the reckoning then. Unfortunately, he got a knee injury. Bringing him back now is not a panic measure; it's something we've thought about long and hard.

"I met David about 10 days ago. We had a chat. He's passionate about playing for his country. He's always had that as a captain or player."