Beckham wins over Capello with attitude and creativity

The odds about him being dumped from the England squad may have been slashed yesterday but David Beckham has done enough to persuade the England manager, Fabio Capello, that he has a continuing role to play for his country.

According to sources, Capello was deeply impressed by Beckham's attitude in and around the squad after he was called up to face France on Wednesday. The Italian also believes that Beckham is one of the few players at his disposal who is capable of creating attacking chances and unlocking defences. It appears that Beckham is here to stay for England.

However, suggestions that Capello compared the potential contribution of Beckham with that of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United have been exaggerated. Asked after the match whether Wayne Rooney could thrive without players such as Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez around him, the England manager simply replied that "we also have David Beckham".

Nevertheless, Capello's reaction is a huge boost to the LA Galaxy midfielder. Beckham won his 100th cap against the French – he will receive a specially commissioned "gold cap" when England play the United States in May for that rare achievement – in what was his first competitive match for several months. In that match against America, Capello could yet spring another surprise by giving Rooney a trial as captain.

The news was less positive for his fellow striker Michael Owen who offered the most hostile verdict to date on Capello. Asked three times in the aftermath of the game what he understood to be the role required of him Owen – who had a fruitless second half substitute's performance – said "I don't know, you'd better ask him [Capello]."

One of Capello's biggest concerns is the lack of pace in the squad – and the fact that few of the strikers are able to go past defenders with the ball. This means that, although Beckham is 32 and playing in the US, his ability to pick passes and deliver crosses and free-kicks is regarded as a major asset to what is a limited group of players.

At the same time the Italian is adamant that his team will play a more patient, passing game and not rely on getting the ball quickly into the penalty area. He will also continue to vary formations as he did at Stade de France. It is, according to sources, a process of education, with Capello determined that he can succeed.

This was why Capello declared himself happy with much of what he saw against the French even though the friendly petered out into a 1-0 defeat. "It's in this type of game that you see the actual worth and value of the team and of the players," Capello said. "The positives were that I saw the players playing with higher confidence [than in the win over Switzerland last month]."

Another major plus point was the performance of Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing, who came on as a half-time substitute for Joe Cole and provided some of the pace and penetration that Capello is looking for. The 23-year-old winger now has a chance to stake his claim to a place in the team, although sources have indicated that England fans cannot expect too many changes in the squad in the coming months and before the 2010 World Cup qualification campaign starts.

The loss of form of Aston Villa's Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor counted against them and while Capello would be delighted if Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher reversed their decisions to retire from international football, that is not going to happen.

However, it is the confirmation that Beckham can play a role which may surprise many. David Bentley's emergence had led to doubts over whether Beckham would be retained, but both players are important to Capello's plans while other candidates for the right side of midfield, such as Shaun Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon, have failed to prove themselves.

Capello and his management team have watched over 50 Premier League games and feel they have a comprehensive feel for the game in England. Although they have been encouraged, they are also concerned as to whether the pool of talent is deep enough.

One player in whose talent Capello has faith is Rooney. Playing in the lone striker's role in a 4-2-3-1 formation, he seemed ineffective but Capello said it was something he had reprised successfully with United. "I played him and Steven Gerrard the way they're being played at their own clubs," Capello said. "That's what I wanted to see when they played in the same positions." When it was pointed out that they had different players around them at their clubs, the manager added: "Rooney can be our Torres. And we also have David Beckham."

Gerrard said that Rooney needed to learn to play more like Torres if the pair are to forge a successful partnership. The midfielder, who has found himself playing as a "second striker" for both Liverpool and now England, said he, too, needed to "adapt" if the move was to work. "I will need more time in there, I'm still learning that position – I have played it 10 or 15 times. I am confident I can make it happen. Wayne slightly has to adapt his game as well. For me to get space in there, he has to play higher, stretch the defence. That's why Torres and I are having a lot of joy because he plays high up."

Gerrard pleaded for patience: "It is going to take time, we have had two games together, we have had four or five training sessions. It is a new set-up. It will take time for us to adapt to each other, but there are signs of improvement."