.
Even this term he has hardly been a regular at Manchester United
and although he did play at Hull this afternoon is only expected to
be on the bench in Rome on Wednesday when Sir Alex Ferguson's men
take on Barcelona in the Champions League final.
But, just like his long-time friend David Beckham, Neville has
been deemed worthy of a recall. And, if he is picked for either
match in next month's World Cup double-header against Kazakhstan
and Andorra, he will equal Kenny Sansom's record for a full-back of
86 caps.
Indeed, as Capello would not have picked Neville if he did not
believe he could make a meaningful contribution beyond two matches
England should win to take maximum points from their first seven
matches in Group Six, the 34-year-old could well end up getting
somewhere close to the century mark before he does eventually call
a halt to his international career.
Neville will scrap it out with Glen Johnson, who missed
Portsmouth's defeat at Wigan on Sunday with a minor hamstring
strain, for the right to face Kazakhstan in Almaty.
That Capello chose to draft in someone with so much experience
suggests the time for untested rookies to be utilised before the
World Cup finals themselves in South Africa next summer is drawing
to a close.
Reservations over Matthew Upson's abilities in central defence
may remain but the West Ham player has still been picked ahead of
Nedum Onuoha, who was tipped for a first call-up in many
quarters.
Manchester City are represented in the form of Wayne Bridge and
Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was supposed to have been ruled out with
a knee injury, only for boss Mark Hughes to discover the problem
was not so bad after all.
All Capello's big-name outfield players have been picked, with
Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole both recovered from the injuries
suffered in the friendly win over Slovakia that subsequently kept
them out of last month's victory against the Ukraine at
Wembley.
Jermain Defoe returns after a three-match absence, while Theo
Walcott is fit for international duty after dislocating his
shoulder in training prior to the friendly win over Germany in
Berlin last November.
It is the goalkeeping department where Capello has most to worry
about, although even here he has gone for the tried and tested as
first and second choices David James and Ben Foster have been ruled
out with shoulder and thumb injuries respectively.
West Ham's Robert Green has emerged as first-choice despite
winning just two caps, both as a second-half substitute in friendly
matches.
And with Joe Hart ruled out on form grounds after losing his
place at Manchester City to Shay Given, Paul Robinson, who won the
last of his 41 caps in the catastrophic European Championship
defeat in Russia in October 2005, is recalled along with Scott
Carson, who has just been relegated with West Brom.
England squad for World Cup qualifying matches against
Kazakhstan and Andorra:
Carson (West Brom); Green (West Ham); Robinson (Blackburn);
Bridge (Man City), A Cole (Chelsea), Ferdinand (Man Utd), Johnson
(Portsmouth), Lescott (Everton), Neville (Man Utd), Terry
(Chelsea), Upson (West Ham)
Barry (Aston Villa), Beckham, Carrick (Man Utd), Gerrard
(Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), Walcott (Arsenal), Wright-Phillips
(Man City), Young (Aston Villa)
C Cole (West Ham), Crouch (Portsmouth), Defoe (Tottenham),
Heskey (Aston Villa), Rooney (Man Utd).
