Proud Capello wants club form and confidence

Fabio Capello has promised every player eligible to represent England, including David Beckham, that they will receive a fair crack of his whip when he starts work early in January. But there is a warning from a man well known as a disciplinarian that nothing less than total dedication and application on and off the field will be acceptable.

Speaking for the first time since being appointed to succeed Steve McClaren, Capello said: "Every player has a new start with me. They all have the chance to impress. Playing for your country is the biggest honour for a player. I expect my players to give 100 per cent and be professional at all times. I will do everything I can to make England successful, and I expect the players and everyone involved with the team to do the same."

John Terry, who has faced calls to be removed as England captain following his latest nightclub antics, will be relieved that the slate is being wiped clean. Jamie Carragher and Paul Scholes, both retired from international football, will be welcomed back into the fold if they wish, but ignored if they do not. Beckham, dropped but then reprieved by Capello at Real Madrid, is desperate to win his 100th cap, against Switzerland at Wembley in February.

Capello, who will face a media conference at a London hotel tomorrow lunchtime, said yester-day: "I am proud and honoured to be England manager. I am excited about the challenge, and I'm already planning for the first game. My English is not yet at the level I would like and I am starting lessons straightaway."

Capello also hinted yesterday that the job will be his last in football: "This is the final crowning of my career. It would be very nice to finish in the best way."

He added: "I want the players to play for England the way they do for their clubs. I want them to have confidence on the pitch. They need to have belief in themselves and not be afraid of big games." The last comment hints at widespread disbelief among Continental coaches that England failed to draw against Russia or Croatia, which meant elimination from Euro 2008.

To help him understand the English mentality, Capello says it is "very important" to have an English coach or two working with the squad, despite bringing in four of his Italian countrymen.

Sir Trevor Brooking, who yesterday defended the speed of the 61-year-old Capello's appointment, will help him decide between contenders such as Stuart Pearce, the Under-21 coach, and television pundits Alan Shearer and David Platt (a fluent Italian-speaker). Franco Tancredi replaces Ray Clemence, who has been goalkeeping coach for 15 years but will continue to oversee the Under-16 to Under-20 age groups, and there is now a full-time fitness coach. Italo Galbiati will work with Capello on the training ground and Franco Baldini will take on the role of scout and talent-spotter. Meanwhile, the FA's root-and-branch inquiry into the England set-up is ongoing, with Capello now having an input.