Beckham: 'Why I must put all those demons to sleep'

World Cup 2002: England captain revitalised for his campaign of atonement

Four years ago, as a chastened David Beckham strode off the field at St Etienne, he cast the most cursory of backward glances at referee Kim Milton Nielsen and the far- from-contrite Argentinian midfielder responsible for his red card, Diego Simeone.

Perhaps it was to confirm that he actually had behaved with such impetuous irresponsibility. More likely, in his subconcious, it was to avoid looking directly at the England bench and a stony-faced Glenn Hoddle.

England's elimination may have ultimately been the result of David Batty's missed penalty, but Beckham's sense of guilt on a night when his dismissal severely diminished his team's chances far earlier must have seared the then 23-year-old to the depths of his being.

Some players might never have fully recovered. A few might have been terminally damaged by such an experience. Beckham appears to have flourished after it. Following the ignominy of France 98, few would have imagined that he would be back, stronger in character and even more refined in technique and diligent in his attitude, at another World Cup. One in which, it can hardly be forgotten, Argentina will once again be the principal impediment to England's early progress.

"I'm glad I've proved to people that I could get over situations like that," Beckham said. "I'm pleased about the way it's all gone over the last four years. It was hard at the time, but that's gone now and I'm really looking forward to putting all those demons to sleep."

He added: "I'm just looking forward to the Sweden game at the moment. We've got to get off to a good start. But obviously the Argentina game is going to be big. It's been hyped up so much. Fortunately, we won't be involved in too much of that hype because we won't see the papers."

This will not be the first occasion that England have confronted the Argentinians since 1998 – they met in a friendly, which finished goalless, at Wembley after qualifying for Euro 2000 – but it is liable to have the most potential for ill-discipline. And they will try to wind Beckham up, it was suggested. "I'm sure they will, but there'll be a bit of that on both sides," he said, with a rueful smile. "It's part and parcel of football these days. I'll just have to remember to keep my foot out of the way!"

Ah, the celebrated left foot, apparently healed in ultra-fast time. David, like Cinderella, shall go to the ball. But will the slipper fit?

Before training and regaining his fitness all week in Dubai, the England captain predicted that the Sweden game a fortnight today would not be a premature forecast for his return to the team. He ran for the first time last Saturday morning, and was sore immediately afterwards, "but my surgeon says that a callus has formed around the bone, so it's looking good".

He added: "The friendlies [against South Korea and Cameroon] are too near because if I get kicked it puts me out. But I'm hopeful for Sweden."

Beckham's arrival in Japan next Saturday will cause a commotion not seen since he was last in the Far East. As his coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, put it, the interest in Beckham and Michael Owen will be such that "we will probably not leave the hotel very much".

Beckham knows how it feels to be idolised in an area of the world where Manchester United support is as fanatical as it is in Salford. He has come across it on pre-season tours to the Far East with his club. "It's something that I'd never experienced before," he said. "Obviously, I get a lot of attention when I do go out to places in England. But over there it was absolutely mad. You stepped out of your hotel room and there were 50 people there waiting for you."

The midfielder added: "I went shopping one day over there and I was mobbed by kids, girls, everyone, and they had to close the shopping centre down." At least England will not be lacking support. "I think after their own team, England are their next favourites," said Beckham. "That will be a good thing about being there."

It says everything about the revitalised Beckham, who at least will approach the World Cup games fresher in mind and body than some of his team-mates and members of the opposition, that he appears utterly unaffected by his celebrity.

His manner was one of insouciance as he discussed the downside of fame. "I feel that I'm a down-to-earth person, anyway," he said. "All this does go on around me, but I know what the important things in life are."

Yet being confined to hotels for what could be six weeks, if England are successful, is not everybody's ideal way to spend a summer. He looked vaguely puzzled. "If you said to any young lad, 'Would you spend six weeks in hotels, playing in a World Cup finals?' he'd snap your hand off."

Beckham added: "I'm just really excited about going to this big competition; there's no nerves at all. It's been a bit crazy, with some people saying we're going to win the World Cup. We've done well to get there, but we've not won anything yet."

Still, it was put to him, had not the injuries to Steven Gerrard and one of his best friends, Gary Neville, severely restricted England's chances? "Those injuries are obviously devastating to the players concerned, but we have to move on. Robert Pires is out of the French squad, but I'm sure they'll get over it.

"We've got to believe that we can win. There's no point going over there, thinking you're going to make the numbers up, is there?" And in the case of the England captain perhaps to atone for his perceived sins of four years ago. Fully and finally.