McClaren in Becks U-turn?

LONDON - SIX weeks ago, David Beckham was dismissed as a 31-year-old has-been bound for a cushy retirement job in America.

Now, he has been resurrected as the man who could rescue England.

Even coach Steve McClaren admits he has to consider an improbable recall for the country's former captain.

'It gives me a problem, one of the problems you welcome,' he said on Wednesday.

'It's pleasing to see that a month ago, he would never play for Real again, and there he is starring in a game against Bayern Munich and being Man of the Match.'

On Tuesday night, Beckham had a hand in each of the goals in Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Bayern in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Two weeks ago, he scored in the 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in the Spanish league, saving the job of coach Fabio Capello.

And this was the same Capello who had declared that Beckham would never play for Real again, after the midfielder signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Jan11.

After a six-match exile, he turned around and declared: 'We doubted he could train with the same enthusiasm, but he has been training perfectly.

'I'm counting on him until the end of the season.'

McClaren is in the same boat as the Italian.

His seven-month tenure has been awful. After two wins, one dispiriting loss and one even more dispiriting draw, England are tied with minnows Israel and Macedonia for third in their Euro 2008 qualifying group.

Clearly, McClaren needs help, and he could always look at how Beckham has given a little CPR to Capello.

England midfielder Owen Hargreaves was in the Bayern side, and witnessed at close quarters exactly what Beckham still has to offer.

His verdict: McClaren would be insane not to recall the former England captain.

'If David plays like he did against us, then he can play his way back into any team,' he said.

'I've always said anyone who writes off Becks is mad.

'He was Real's most influential player against us by a country mile. Every chance seemed to come from his set-pieces or passes.'

Beckham has a crucial few weeks coming up.

He is suspended for Saturday's Madrid derby against Atletico, but returns to face Getafe the following weekend.

Then, there is the return trip to Bayern and another crunch tie at bitter rivals Barcelona, reported The Sun.

The icing on the cake will be the return to his former club Manchester United, with a European Select XI for a friendly on March 13.

Three days later, McClaren - who has to decide whether qualifying is more important than planning for the future - has to name his Euro squad for Israel and Andorra.

Beckham was felt to have too much influence under Sven-Goran Eriksson's indulgent regime. McClaren's decision to drop him on 94 caps was seen as a clear break from the past.

Can the coach swallow his pride and bring him back?