Although many England fans will view tonight's encounter here in Seville as nothing more than a trivial distraction, it was in similarly innocuous circumstances that Spain took a significant step on a journey of transformation that climaxed with victory at Euro 2008.

The Spaniards travelled to Old Trafford for a friendly in February 2007 with a team struggling in their European Qualifying Group but harbouring considerable potential and promising youngsters David Silva, Sergio Ramos and Cesc Fabregas.

A solitary Andres Iniesta goal gave the visitors victory and it proved the turning point in their recent history. Indeed, they have not lost since.

"That win over England was a new start for us," said goalkeeper Iker Casillas. "Before that game the national team was always being criticised. After that game things improved every time and we ended up by winning the European Championships."

It is that transition to a winning mentality that Fabio Capello is now trying to instil in England and five consecutive victories - including a 2-1 win in Germany last time out - suggests significant progress is being made.

For Silva, Fabregas and Ramos, read Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor, who have brought a welcome injection of pace and penetration to a formerly flat England attack.

The Aston Villa duo remain raw but their potential is impressive and it appears their mental education is on top of Capello's curriculum tonight.

"There will be a lot of substitutions because I have to respect the clubs," admitted the Italian. "But I prefer to look at it as a test for the young players. Some players play very well with their club but not with the same confidence in the national team.

"Villa have a lot of young English players and they need to play more games with more confidence for us."

What lies in store tonight represents a stern test of their development. Spain are unbeaten in 28 matches and have never lost at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in 22 games.

Their fluidity and flexibility in changing formations, particularly in midfield, is something Capello hopes to emulate and it is a important element of building a winning mentality that the team are unfazed by anything thrown at them.

"It is not easy for all teams against Spain because they play with one forward and a lot of players in midfield who are very good technically," said the Italian, who chose to play down the racist taunts England players suffered in Madrid five years ago.

"After the win against Germany, it will be very important to value our team against different styles of players. That is more relevant. I lived here - the Spanish people are not racist. There is no problem."

The racism issue is viewed by locals as a Madrid concern and though captain John Terry is hoping they are right, he confirmed his team are prepared to take a stand if it is repeated, saying: "If [the racist chanting] gets as bad as last time, the referee would have to step in. If he decides to lead both teams off the field, we'll have to support that."

But tonight will hopefully represent a significant moment in the history of English football for an altogether more wholesome reason.

If Bobby Moore's outfield record of 108 England caps is to fall, then it is a testament to the work ethic of a player whose extraordinary fitness levels and stunning dead-ball delivery surely justify his inclusion up to and including the 2010 World Cup, if only as a superb Plan B.

That Capello claims David Beckham "is important for the group" becomes significant when considering the manager's task of improving squad confidence where fragility in its components remains a factor.

The goalkeeping area is a particular concern, with the ageing and error-prone David James only facing competition from the inexperienced pair Robert Green and Joe Hart.

Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe's absence up front exposes the lack of depth in attack. Carlton Cole's ability to score against top level opposition is questionable but his recent form warrants the chance to prove his worth as a target man alongside Agbonlahor up front.

"I want to see the confidence and the spirit of the team," Capello added. "I want to see players with no fear and play with confidence. This is a very important step for us."