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Wallace: Becks on the bench

Sam Wallace believes Fabio Capello had no option other than to pick David Beckham for the friendly with France.

The former captain survived Saturday's cut for the Paris match despite the MLS season not having started yet over in America.

It means, of course, Beckham is likely to become only the fifth player in history to win 100 caps for England, joining Peter Shilton, Bobby Moore, Sir Bobby Charlton and Billy Wright.

Wallace though believes Capello was backed into a corner and went on to suggest that the LA Galaxy man should not command a starting slot on Wednesday night.

"That figure of 99 would always be hanging over any England manager," he told The Supplement. "There would always be a section of England fans who thought that it would have been unfinished business.

"With Beckham there is always going to be great interest in the 100 caps and it's a fantastic achievement, whatever you feel about what he's achieved in his career. It's a great achievement to play for your country 100 times.

"What he won't get though is the great fanfare he'd have got if it had been Sven Goran Eriksson picking this side. It would have been trailed for a week, we'd have all done big interviews with him saying what's your greatest cap, your greatest moment.

"As it is he could come on and it won't be at Wembley, so it's may be not as he'd envisaged. But I do think it's a sign - and Capello never admits much - of Capello saying 'you've got your 100th cap, you've got what you wanted', let's get it out of the way.

"I'd bring him on for the last 10 minutes. I think David Bentley deserves to start on that right side, but it's a very interesting one."

To see what Wallace and the rest of the Supplement panel made of Fabio Capello's second England squad, click on the video link...