What do Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon, David Bentley, James Milner and Theo Walcott have in common? All of them play in the Barclays English Premier League, currently considered the best league in the world - all of them are under the age of twenty-six - all of them are amongst the brightest prospects in world football - all of them play on the right hand side of midfield - all of them wish they were England manager, Steve McClaren's, best mate - and all of them have never been mistaken for David Beckham. Up until last week, the chances of Beckham being on the short list to make McClaren's latest England squad for the upcoming friendly versus Euro 2008 host, Austria, and the potential career defining match against current Group E leaders, Croatia, were about as good as you and me hitting the Super Lotto. I mean slim and none had more chance of representing the Three Lions but then...we had the lost weekend! Most England managers spend the time between internationals in the lap of luxury. You'll see them in the director's boxes at Anfield, Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. Like mother hens they'll be watching their charges punish themselves through ninety minutes of grueling football. Last Sunday was a perfect example and should've been prime McClaren viewing. Potentially six England players were on display at the Emirates as Arsenal and Manchester United played out the biggest match in the world. Instead of being in North London though our national coach was by some reports sipping Pellegrino, nibbling a vegan salad and catching up with all the latest Hollywood gossip at the Ivy in La-La Land as he had lunch with his new best mate, David Beckham. That's right, Steve McClaren, a man on the verge of losing his job decided to fly clear across the world to check on the fitness of a player who has not played ninety minutes since August 23rd. Is he insulting our intelligence! Listen, I'm a huge Beckham fan and one of his biggest cheer leaders when it comes to this wild American experience but why an earth is the top man in English football wasting his time and FA money schlepping over here to check on the fitness of a player whom he discarded eighteen months ago - it's not like we're thin of players in that position (see above). McClaren's line when he arrived back in England consisted of the following bites. "We need big-game players like David". "I went to Los Angeles because it was important to check him out and do my job". "David is a very important player to us. He proved his importance when he came back into the squad in the summer. His performances warranted inclusion." He is insulting our intelligence! Beckham as not had a match defining game since October 2001 and Greece during World Cup qualifying. The game that McClaren supposedly attended (we couldn't find him anywhere in the Home Depot Center) was a charity match against Hollywood United that has ex-Sex Pistol, Steve Jones, age 52 and Without A Trace star, Anthony La Paglia, age 48 in their squad. If this is the criterion for playing Euro 2008 qualifiers, he should pick me because I've scored against Hollywood and La Paglia in the past eighteen months! David may have been great in the summer against Brazil (friendly) & Estonia (FIFA ranking 130) but 252 minutes in Major League Soccer and a kick-about in Canada followed by a six week injury lay off hardly warrant inclusion into a match that if Israel do the right thing against Russia next Saturday is worth a potential $150 million plus to the European and English economy next summer. My colleague on Fox Football Fone-In, Steven Cohen, was convinced that McClaren was in LA to interview for the vacated, Galaxy job however not with the GM, Alexi Lalas but with Beckham himself. This has turned out to be incorrect with the signing of Ruud Gullit however one can't help but wonder what an earth he was doing here. With Beckham just three caps shy of 100 appearances for England I can imagine that he was on the phone to McClaren lobbying for a place in the squad and if I were in his boots I do the same thing. What I can quite get my head around is McClaren listening to Becks and believing that this is the preparation needed for playing top-level football. I can't help but feel that McClaren is somehow prepping for his LAE...life after England. A 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours arrangement'. Also what is the message that is being sent to the players I named at the top of this piece. Yes, Wright-Phillips and Bentley are in the squad but what about the efforts of Lennon, Milner and Walcott. These players are the future of England busting their guts every week and they don't get a sniff - its madness or perhaps it's a Hollywood ending more fantastical than any of us can possibly imagine. Russia ties Israel. England beat Austria. England beat Croatia. Beckham is superlative. McClaren gets to keep his job. We qualify for Euro 2008. McClaren then picks Beckham next summer who goes on to win his 100th cap for the Three Lions while helping them win their first major trophy since 1966. Webster, you've lived here too long. Lets get real... Russia beats Israel. Beckham wins 99 caps. McClaren get sacked. His successor looks at Beckham playing MLS and says nah! Until then, get the beers in.