FABIO Capello last night tipped Danny Welbeck to become a major part of England's future, and denied he had given the Sunderland striker an international debut simply to prove a point to Ghana.

After being promoted to England's senior squad as a last-minute replacement for the injured Aaron Lennon on Monday night, Welbeck earned his maiden cap as an 81st-minute substitute in a 1-1 draw with Ghana at Wembley.

Asamoah Gyan's last-minute strike cancelled out Andy Carroll's first-half opener as an England side missing a host of senior players produced an enterprising and spirited display.

Welbeck's introduction produced one of the night's major talking points, as the striker is also qualified to play for Ghana because both of his parents were born in the country.

Last night's appearance does not preclude the possibility of him switching to Ghana in the future – FIFA rules state that a player is only assigned to a nation once he has played in a competitive match – but after he was roundly booed by Ghana's 15,000 fans, it is hard to imagine the 20-year-old turning his back on England now.

Nevertheless, after watching Welbeck produce a number of impressive performances for England Under-21s, Capello insists there was no ulterior motive to last night's developments.

“Did I pick him because he can also play for Ghana? Absolutely no,” said the England manager. “I work for England and I always select the best players I can. I selected him because Lennon was injured, only for that. I never thought of any issue between England and Ghana.

“None of that was a problem. He is part of the future of this team and I thought he did well when he came on. He is a young player, and it is important young players play with confidence, that is why I gave him his debut.

“He has been a really important player for the Under-21s, and I thought this friendly was a good opportunity to see his value in the senior side.”

Welbeck is currently on a season-long loan from Manchester United, with Sunderland boss Steve Bruce expected to attempt to engineer another loan agreement for next season.

Whether that is possible remains to be seen, with Capello tipping the 20-year-old to become a regular feature in future England squads.

“For me, Welbeck will be a really important player for England in the future,” he said. “Physically and technically, he already looks very good. He could also be very important for Manchester United because he looks like he can really play.

“I monitored him last season and thought he did very well. I've seen three or four games of his (this season), but then he suffered a big problem with injury. But he's back now and I am excited about him.”

Ghana boss Goran Stevanovic has spoken to Manchester-born Welbeck and his representatives on a number of occasions this season to outline his desire to offer him an international future in Accra.

That could still happen, but the Serbian admits last night's events have effectively ended his interest in the attacker.

“I have asked for him various times, if it's possible for him to play for Ghana,” said Stevanovic. “But unfortunately tonight he started to play for England.

“I wish him all the best, but I am very sorry for us because he's a very good player. I tried to pick him but I think that has finished now.”

Carroll's first international goal looked to have secured England victory before Gyan swooped in the 90th minute, and while the former Newcastle striker did not look fully match fit, Capello was delighted to see him break his duck.

“Carroll scored a good goal, but he needs more time and more games to improve,” he said. “He's a very important player for us and it's good for him to get a goal. It's always important for your strikers to score goals.

“It is difficult for big players to regain their fitness straight away after an injury, but hopefully that goal will help. He is a good player, but he can still improve a lot.”