Hollywood boy gets his dream comeback

If it was pitched as a Hollywood blockbuster, the movie executives in David Beckham's new hometown might just throw it out as too damn implausible. A faded iconic footballer is kicked out of his national team and then, six months later, told by his club side that he will never play for them again. And yet by the end of the season he is three games from the Spanish title and on the brink of a staggering return to the England team.

Only one footballer could star in that kind of tale, and when David Beckham, as he is now set to do, steps out on to Wembley for the first time next Friday the crowd will recognise it as another astonishing twist in his life-story. He may not be the footballer he was, but those who shelled out for the Club Wembley seats at the new ground can at least say that they got their money's worth in terms of drama.

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• McClaren to swallow pride and mend it with Beckham

Why does Steve McClaren now find himself on the brink of picking the one man whose exclusion was his first - some might say only - brave decision? The England manager will argue that he is playing the pragmatist, compensating for a severe lack of experience for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia. And who could argue with Beckham's form of late, certainly not the Real Madrid fans and the Spanish press who wrote recently that Beckham should take leave of Spain on an ocean liner so "all Real fans could come to the shore to bid him farewell and thanks".

And knowing Beckham, who would bet against that? It is a personal opinion that McClaren's decision to end Beckham's international career was the right one. He may still have been among the best 24 English players available but McClaren had to do something to sever his ties with the failed regime of Sven Goran Eriksson and Beckham was the most obvious symbol. Tough on the man himself but after five major tournaments - three as captain - he had been given his chance.

Ten months on from the McClaren dawn and the picture has changed. The England manager is on an emergency footing, and after the draw in Israel and the abuse in Andorra, the Football Association are twitchy. The FA chief executive Brian Barwick has conspicuously avoided giving unconditional backing to McClaren beyond Estonia. Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Cole are all out - Joe Cole is a doubt - and McClaren's job is on the line. McClaren walked out of his last post-match press conference close to tears - the question is not whether he should recall Beckham: but what else does he have to lose? It may have been cleared with certain senior players but Beckham's return will not be to everyone's tastes. However low key his comeback will prove the drama of it will dominate the media. Only last week he gave a sponsors' interview in which he sat wistfully at the new Wembley recalling former glories and wondering what it would be like to play in the new stadium. It seems that in Beckham's world, such wishes really do come true.

There is even the chance that Beckham may start against Brazil on Friday, certainly Aaron Lennon has been used on the left side of midfield - at the expense of the naturally left-sided Stewart Downing - in training with the England B squad this week. Those close to the squad claim that it is anticipation of bringing Beckham in on the right wing.

This coming week is sure to be all about the return of the prodigal son, the future is much more complicated. How will he combine playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy with international duty? Will playing in a second-rate league in America still justify his selection? And if England drop points in Estonia he will have been no use to McClaren anyway. The final irony if that happens is that Beckham's international career will have outlasted McClaren's after all.