England's most successful captain since 1966 tells Glenn Moore why this year's vintage can reach the semi-finals – and beyond

Diego Maradona leaves England players trailing during Argentina's 2-1 quarter-final victory at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in 1986.

Rio Ferdinand would be happy to place his trust in Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to get their central midfield axis right for England at the World Cup.

From jeers to cheers then tears, the 1990 World Cup finals had it all. In this exclusive feature, Simon Hart looks at the football, tactics and music to discover what made it so special and why its impact reverberates today

Peter Shilton was the first England footballer to learn how ruthless Fabio Capello could be. Now the country's most-capped player believes the Italian must be similarly decisive over which of his three goalkeepers starts the World Cup against the United States in less than three weeks' time.

David Beckham admitted yesterday that he will not play football again until November, meaning that his earliest potential return for England would be in ten months' time in next year's February friendly – if he does return to international football.

It was from a comforting place, of deep certainties and contentment, that Craig Brown suddenly re-emerged in the competitive heart of Scottish football. Five years had passed since his previous management job when Motherwell appointed him in charge of a team last December that was reduced to a state of anxiety. He was 69, his knees were a little more troublesome and his hair was a little greyer around the temples, but then Brown has always been most adept at confounding assumptions made about him.

After, we assume, several long hours in the Downing Street bunker discussing the Conservatives' latest less-than-flattering M&C Saatchi designed campaign advert, Labour party officials appear to have found a new strategy. Namely, DIY.

The Chelsea captain tried to deflect attention from allegations of an affair by getting back to his day job yesterday. And he scored

The 'keeper's new-found sangfroid during and after Saturday's game contrasted with Green's mad moment, says Ian Herbert

When Kevin Poole made his League debut, Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, the IRA had just tried to blow up the British cabinet in Brighton, Clive Lloyd's West Indies had thrashed David Gower's England 5-0 and Bob Geldof was recording Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

Newcastle pay tribute to former manager with no end to crisis in sight

David Beckham said today that his move to AC Milan has improved his fitness and that he hads not ruled out matching goalkeeper Peter Shilton's record of 125 caps for England.