Capello confirmed Beckham has been invited to join the squad regardless of his injury. Beckham is more than a celebrity item he is “a symbol for us, and for us he is very, very important,” said Capello. "We have asked Beckham to come to South Africa with us. It depends on him and how his tendon injury is. It's obvious he won't be able to play because we have to wait six months."England and Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick says that Beckham's presence within the World Cup party would be welcomed by the squad. "I think the manager has invited him along in some capacity and however he comes along I'm sure for the lads in the squad it will be good to see him," he said. "It will give the lads a big boost because he's just got that presence, and great players have that. He's got that all-round presence that people respond to."
BECKHAM'S ENGLAND FACTFILE
Debut: v Moldova (1/9/1996) - won 3-0
Last game: v Belarus (14/10/2009) - won 3-0
Caps: 115
Goals: 17
Won: 68
Drawn: 26
Lost: 21
source: BBC
