The England squad¹ met for a final training session in Hertfordshire on Monday, before flying to Paris for their midweek friendly against 1998 World Cup winners France.

Galaxy2 midfielder David Beckham." src="/upimg/allimg/080325/1534350.gif" border="0" />

All eyes were keenly trained on L.A Galaxy midfielder David Beckham.

All eyes were keenly trained on L.A Galaxy midfielder David Beckham. He made a welcome return to the squad after his surprise omission³ for the previous friendly fixture⁴ against Switzerland, a match that saw newly installed manager Fabio Capello take the reigns⁵ for the first time. The session itself definitely had a welcome ring of familiarity for the former English Premier⁶ League and La Liga championship winner.

David Beckham, L.A Galaxy and England, said, "Well obviously I had the pleasure of being. obviously in my last year at Real Madrid having him (Capello) as the manager and I know what he is like as a manager and I know what he is like as a person. And I also know what the coaching staff and the people he surrounds himself with are like. it's a very professional set-up, it's a set-up where he knows what he wants and knows how to get it and he does it his way and its working really well at the moment."

Meanwhile, France made final tweaks to the squad that will take on the English in Paris on Monday. French coach Raymond Domenech is only the second manager to face England, following the recent installation of Fabio Capello as manager, with the "Three Lions" still something of an unknown quantity.

French coach Raymond Domenech, said, "England interests me for its game intensity⁷, not its organization or its tactics but by the intensity it can provide during high level games. That's what is interesting."