Now we have got to find out if he has got the temperament, the character to perform at the highest level." Beckham has so far shown it one notch down, scoring, for example, the winning goal against Hoddle's Chelsea in last season's FA Cup semi-final.Maturity is the word Hoddle uses. My theory on experience has got nothing to do with grey hairs, it is whether you have got experience in doing the right things and you can be doing those at a young age."Ferenc Puskas, the great Hungarian, often spoke of looking for the long pass as the instant response to being in possession, something which Hoddle the player also believed, and he sees it in Beckham, too. "His passing is his talent, his maturity is to do with staying calm on the ball when he needs to. He makes decisions and selections on the pitch in a mature way, far more advanced than his age suggests. His manager still questions his durability for the extended rigours of an English season, which explains his less immediate promotion at United, and less frequent appearances than such contemporaries as the Neville brothers and Nicky Butt, but his passing ability eclipses all."Alex knows these things better than I do," Hoddle says.

Flavours of the month and Showbiz XIs, as Venables used to call them, have little place in the real world of international football these days, something acknowledged by Hoddle, who is more pragmatic than his playing image might suggest, but the London-born United midfield player is no flash 'arry.Under Ferguson's feet-on-the-ground tutelage, Beckham is learning his trade soundly. Poland at Wembley five and a half weeks later may be less intimidating than Chisinau and more appropriate to them.Beckham, at least, deserves an early introduction. Two, the players haven't really looked at that even in the championships so there are things I want to introduce as we go along."It is why Beckham and Le Tissier are probably going along for the experience, to see how they blend with the squad and so that Hoddle can begin his own work with them. Speak to you again soon, perhaps.""Aye."According to his manager at Manchester United, whose policy of shielding his younger talents proved beneficial if frustrating with Ryan Giggs, the 21-year-old Beckham may not be ready for the glare of publicity, but according to the new England coach, Glenn Hoddle, he is ready for the exposure to international football.Beckham's elevation to the squad to travel to Moldova for England's opening World Cup qualifying match on Sunday, along with that of Matthew Le Tissier, represents Hoddle's initials on a document that he does not yet feel able to sign with a flourish. His playing system of sweeper and wing-backs will soon take shape. Moldova on Sunday, however, is a job for the confident, experienced class of Euro 96.

Of the five changes to the Venables 22, only one, that of David James for Tim Flowers, is not injury-enforced."In an ideal world, how I would want to send a team out is to have a sweeper breaking in, but that wouldn't be right at this moment," Hoddle says "One, we have got to find out if we have got that person. "Don't judge this team as the image of what I might be building in the long term," he insists.With a four-year contract, as opposed to Terry Venables's two, Hoddle has set about structuring to his liking the England Under-18 and Under- 21 set-ups. When do you think he'll be ready?""About two years.""Really? He's a level-headed lad isn't he?""Maybe.""OK Thanks, Alex. The conversation with Alex Ferguson, at 8.30am last Monday, went something like this "Good morning Alex. How are you?" "Fine.""Congratulations on your start to the season.""Aye.""Alex, I was wondering if there might be any chance of doing an interview with David Beckham.""No chance.""Why did I know you were going to say that?""Why did you ask then?""Always worth a try. Miller was so incensed that he was booked for protesting his case as was substitute Gordon Durie, warming up nearby, for stupidly offering his thoughts on the subject.Miller created greater panic in the United defence 10 minutes later when he drilled in a shot which Maxwell spilled into McCoist's path before Mark Perry cleared the ball for a corner.Gordan Petric, who had earlier been booked for pulling down Coyle, was then fortunate to escape expulsion after he resumed his feud with his former team-mate off the pitch.Rangers brought on van Vossen for Miller, seven minutes before Gascoigne's glorious strike. Rangers could even afford to miss a last-minute penalty, when Durie's kick was kept out by Maxwell.United were already washed up thanks to the bleach boy..