England boss Fabio Capello showed the first hint that a semblance of compassion lies beneath his steely exterior when he backed David Beckham to make it all the way to the World Cup in 2010.
The Italian confirmed Beckham would win his 100th cap against France tonight at the Stade de France.
And he insisted that the former England captain, who now plies his trade for Los Angeles Galaxy in American Major League Soccer, can still make a difference to the fortunes of the national team.
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Capello, who managed Beckham at Real Madrid, said: "It would have been very cruel of me to make him come all the way from the United States and not play him. You wish that I was that cruel?
"The David Beckham I know can certainly last and get to 2010 if he carries on training and working hard.
"I know David Beckham and what he can give me and I think he can make the difference in some respects. I know what he can give to a team.
"As for the future, we will have to see. Nobody knows.
"I've managed him previously and he's always been a very good professional. Only people who are so professional can last and be at the top for so long."
Capello, however, was giving no guarantees and was more concerned that England should regain their confidence after failure to qualify for the European Championships this summer.
He wants the players "to play with personality and not be afraid of taking risks" and repeated his mantra of the past 10 weeks, the one which says the players must return to playing for their country as adeptly as they do for their clubs in the Premier League week in and week out.
Crucially, after a week in which the headlines have been all about Ashley Cole's contempt for referee Mike Riley at Tottenham and Javier Mascherano's madness at Old Trafford for Liverpool, he also insisted England footballers must set the standards of fair play.
He said: "We need to be role models when we play for England and when we play for our clubs. Part of this involves fair play and respect towards the referee and the public who come to see the games. In that respect, we need to get back something."
Capello saw no contradiction in making Rio Ferdinand his captain, despite the Manchester United defender having been banned for eight months four years ago for missing a drugs test, a punishment which he confirmed he was well aware of.
"The past is the past," explained Capello, who reiterated that he would continue to rotate the captaincy before choosing a permanent skipper before the World Cup qualifiers begin in September.
"From what I've seen in the games I've been watching him (Ferdinand) play and in the five days I've had him train with me, I've seen a very good professional in him. I believe he can be a very good England captain."
France, of course, will provide a much sterner test for the Capello regime than the ordinary Switzerland team who were beaten 2-1 at Wembley last month
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