When Steve McLaren took over the England head coach's job after the 2006 World Cup, he immediately dropped then Real Madrid star and former England captain David Beckham from the squad altogether as he set about building a brave new English international footballing world. We all know how that turned out (badly for those who actually don't know) and Beckham was subsequently recalled to the squad and went on to win his 99th cap. So near but yet so far.

The arrival of new England head coach (and Beckham's former coach at Real Madrid) Fabio Capello made it look a certainty that Beckham would be given his ceremonial 100th cap, there would be a few tears from associated watchers who thought back to free-kicks past and "that game" against Greece and the Beckham / England rollercoaster would finally pull up to the end of the ride. Not so.

Capello dropped the artist formerly known as Goldenballs from the squad for his first game against Switzerland due to Beckham's globetrotting antics looking after his soccer academies and general disinterest in actually playing competitive football and it looked like he would be stuck on 99 caps forever. Until the next squad came around that is.

We are now left with the spectacle of Beckham in the squad waiting on a 100th cap that on current form over the past six months he scarcely deserves (occasionally playing pub-league football in the States and showboating for the cameras at glitzy soccer schools is not competitive football) while a player such as Blackburn Rovers' David Bentley has raised his game to such a level in the Premier League that it would be a downright disgrace if he was to be left out of England's starting lineup.

At the risk of the progression of Bentley's career, should Beckham have been included in the latest squad at all or will a ten minute cameo as a substitute at the end of the game against France be enough for the sentimentalists to see their final glimpses of their old hero in his 100th (and certainly his final) England appearance?