Ferdinand praise for ‘phenomenal’ Becks

Rio Ferdinand today hailed the return of David Beckham to Fabio Capello's squad and backed the midfielder to set a new English record for international caps.

Beckham will equal Bobby Moore's tally of 108 England appearances - only keeper Peter Shilton, on 125, has more - if he features in Wednesday's friendly against Spain after being recalled by Capello in the wake of his excellent form for AC Milan.

Speaking before the trip to Seville, Ferdinand expressed his belief that the 33-year-old Beckham could be a key member of the England squad for years to come.

Ferdinand said: "To get to 100 caps was already an unbelievable achievement for David, but to now equal Bobby Moore's record would be phenomenal. I am sure Becks would not have imagined it that way, so to get there is incredible. He could surpass that record and go on to set new records."

England will be keen to maintain their fine recent form with a strong display against Vicente Del Bosque's European Champions.

Capello has been credited with inspiring England's improvement during 2008, which culminated with an impressive 2-1 victory over Germany in Berlin at the end of last year.