WASHED UP HAS BEENS

"I think David Beckham is the best player in the world - he's a footballer who's got his feet firmly on the ground."

Colin Bell praises United midfield

"Manchester United have been one of the best sides in Europe for a number of years and they have the best midfielders in Europe. Years ago playing the likes of the Brazilians was a new experience. There was a mystique about them. You never saw anything of them from one World Cup to the next. But now they are virtually all playing in Europe. We see them every week in the season on TV in the Champions' League. What the United trio will face tomorrow in Japan won't be any kind of culture shock for them, they are used to all this. They can provide the rock and inspiration for an England win."