IT’S THE CROCK OF GOLD WE WANT, NOT JUST A CROCK

But why even contemplate this? It says something profoundly troubling about our scatterbrained society that in football, which we care about so much, we can be so ridiculously feeble-minded. In a more grown-up football country, he would be out of action and that’s it.

Also, if Capello is such a powerful leader, there is surely no need for another one. Yet while the squealing for Beckham’s presence goes on, it remains clear that the mania of a World Cup year has the potential to remain as harmful to the team as it has been in the past.

England, led by a media, marketing and profiteering operation directed from beyond the more sober and critical back pages, becomes a juvenile nation of star-struck wishful thinkers at times like this, rather than the birthplace of serious football.

This has done massive harm to the national team, removing them from football reality as it is understood in countries where they win things.

Beckham could take some of the heat out by staying away. We are supposed to be beyond it all now. And the scheme to have him in South Africa supporting the 2018 bid is typically arrogant and misinformed because, frankly, FIFA do not take kindly to overt lobbying during a tournament.

The nagging thing is that Capello, the gnarled, tough old Italian Don whom we brought in to end all this nonsense, seems to like the idea of having a cheerleader. According to some, it was even his brainwave. You hope he is just being nice.

Happily, we have indications that the remaining players do not need help in being proper football men any more.

Wayne Rooney, in the season of his life, challenges Sir Alex Ferguson about team selections.

Frank Lampard has been involved in so many painful Champions League campaigns with Chelsea, has been mentored by Jose Mourinho, took on the West Ham mob and is as bright as they come to boot. Does he need a ruffle of his hair?

Rio Ferdinand has been captain of a European Cup-winning team. Emile Heskey has been laughed at from the stands throughout his career and will still be there. So too Peter Crouch.

And as for John Terry and Ashley Cole, well, they have been having a little trouble off the pitch and, whatever you think, they have responded defiantly.

The point is that Beckham is not the only England player with experience of the big time and of the spotlit life players have nowadays.

They have all met the demands of unflinchingly tough club managers. They should not need Beckham’s help to cope.

Of course, you might be concerned that nearly all of them have also been involved in England’s collapses of spirit and understanding at past tournaments. This, though, was a failure of management. And Beckham was the biggest part of the problem then. The most prominent churner of the hype machine. Best to keep away from Rustenburg, eh? It is just a one-ostrich town, anyway.

We admire Beckham’s spirit much more nowadays. But couldn’t he, please, just support the team like the rest of us this time?