If the manager wants him and the players want him, that's good enough for me.

David Beckham's dream of playing in a fourth World Cup is over. A ruptured Achilles tendon takes months of treatment and rehab, ending the long running debate over his respective value to Fabio Capello's England roster.

He may never play for his country again. He may never play again period. But Beckham still has a part to play in South Africa and the Italian coach is right to ask him to become the world's most famous cheerleader. 

A role for Beckham in South Africa

Four years ago, then England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson took an unknown 17-year-old to Germany who had never kicked a ball in the English Premier League. Theo Walcott was never going to step on the field and his inclusion was an utter waste of a roster spot.

Fast forward to 2010 and Capello also plans to include a player who will not kick a ball in anger. True, Beckham will not be part of the official squad but his very presence will be invaluable. None of the 23 active players can match Beckham for pride, passion and experience.

He has made a career out of defying the odds. The infamous red card at France '98, the undignified exit from Old Trafford, the bumpy ride at Real Madrid have all made Beckham an immensely strong character. The younger, quicker, fitter generation can only benefit from his knowledge. 

There are better players than Beckham. Now they must prove they can use their skill and keep their nerve on the biggest stage of all. No player earns 115 caps for his country if he can't cut it at the highest level. Until last weekend, Beckham was doing just that.

He has learned, the hard way, how to handle himself at a World Cup. The death threats which greeted his return to his homeland 12 years ago were real enough. Beckham was Public Enemy Number One following his needless sending off against Argentina.

Simply put, there is no hiding place for England players before, during and after the World Cup. Every team since Alf Ramsey's champions has tried to emulate the 1966 heroes and each one has subsequently fallen short. The search for a scapegoat inevitably follows.

Lennon the heir apparent

Beckham's successors must prove to themselves and their coach they are up to the task. Aaron Lennon is the heir apparent but he's fighting the clock merely to prove his fitness. A further delay in his comeback breaks Capello's first rule: To be considered, you must be playing regularly.

Shaun Wright-Phillips senses the door is ajar but too often strays down blind alleys populated by uncompromising defenders. Walcott, now 21, has a legitimate claim this time round but clearly lacks international experience despite a memorable hat trick against Croatia during qualifying.  

All the candidates have pace and guile but, suffice to say, none of them can bend it like Beckham. The old maestro was never a genuinely quick player. He didn't need to be. His delivery from set pieces and crosses from open play was and remains world class.

There is no question Beckham had done enough to seal his place on the England squad. There is no doubt in my mind Capello would have taken him to South Africa as much for his leadership qualities as for his cultured right foot which has provided 17 England goals across the years. 

For all the hype, the glitz, the glamour and the 'showbiz' lifestyle, Beckham is a simple man with a rare talent who loves to play football. He will not receive a medal if England wins the World Cup. But, without having kicked a single ball, David Beckham will have earned the gratitude of a nation.