THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WATFORD, England — David Beckham credits his move to AC Milan with putting him on the verge of becoming England’s most capped outfield player.
The 33-year-old midfielder will make his 109th appearance for England if he plays in Saturday’s friendly against Slovakia at Wembley, surpassing the record he shares with 1966 World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore.
"To be on the amount of caps that I am at the moment is a great honour," Beckham said Thursday. "When I was on 94 or 95 caps, I never expected to make 100 and when I made 100 people expected me to retire. So to get to 109, I am happy with that.
He may never have reached the milestone if it wasn’t for the extended loan deal to Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy.
England coach Fabio Capello left Beckham out of his England squads when the Major League Soccer season ended last year because he wasn’t playing competitive football.
"Being at AC Milan gives me more of a chance to be at that high level required to play international football," Beckham said. "Being with the squad has improved my fitness rather than anything else. When I first arrived in Dubai with Milan, my body fat was 13.7 (per cent) and now it’s at 8.5, so it was more about the fitness side than anything else."
His chances of starting for the 100th time Saturday have been boosted by an ankle injury for Shaun Wright-Phillips, which has prevented the Manchester City player training all week.
If Beckham overtakes Moore’s record Saturday or in next Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, the next target will be beating goalkeeper Peter Shilton’s all-time England appearance record of 125.
That could come at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa if England qualifies.
"Once we’ve qualified then I need to stay fit and get in the squad," Beckham said. "If that happens we will wait and see where I am on the caps front.
"I’m ecstatic to be where I am at the moment, to still be in the squad, still playing well and still feeling as fit as I’ve felt for a long time. If I break Shilton’s record then great, if not we will have to see what the future holds."
The appearance Beckham would rather forget is the 1998 World Cup quarter-final when he was sent off for kicking out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone.
But it puts Beckham in a position to offer advice to England striker Wayne Rooney, whose temperament has come under the spotlight again after being dismissed Saturday for Manchester United at Fulham and punching a corner flag on his way to the dressing room.
"With Wayne Rooney you don’t get the exceptional talent and player you have without that side of his game," Beckham said. "If you take that side out of his game, he becomes a different player, a different animal. You don’t want to take that out of him.
"Sometimes it flows over. He’s done it a few times with myself. It happens. He knows it’s not right, I know it’s not right, but it happens. You don’t want to take that out of him."