Geoff Hurst: Beckham Good But Moore Better

Should David Beckham appear for Fabio Capello's England team in Seville in the friendly against Spain tonight, then he will match the 108-cap tally of Bobby Moore, a record for an England outfield player.

Moore, who died of cancer at the age of 51 in 1993, is still the only England captain to have lifted the World Cup, and a measure of his stature in England is the fact that it is his statue that greets visitors to the new Wembley Stadium.

Geoff Hurst, Moore's team-mate at both West Ham United and England, and the man who netted a hat-trick in that 1966 final, feels that although Beckham has enjoyed a glittering career, he cannot yet class himself as being on the same level as Moore.

"Bobby started each and every one of his 108 games for England," Hurst told The London Evening Standard.

"In my opinion he would have won significantly more caps had he played these days. David Beckham has had a fabulous career and has been a wonderful ambassador for the English game. But in recent seasons he's been able to increase his number of caps by making brief appearances as a substitute, something that simply didn't happen when we were playing for England.

"It's difficult to make a relevant comparison between the two because so much has changed in the game, but you can't question David's loyalty and commitment.

"He's a great athlete and has had a wonderful career. But, you have to remember that Bobby Moore was a world-class player - probably the best defender in the world. He lifted the World Cup and he won the player-of-the-tournament vote in 1966 ahead of world stars like Pele, Eusebio, Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Charlton."

Few would disagree with Hurst's assessment, one feels, though Beckham, if he fulfills his ambition of playing in the 2010 World Cup, may yet reach Peter Shilton's overall England record of 125 caps, and Hurst's views might change should the midfielder manage that achievement.

Meanwhile, there will be a slightly ironic piece of symmetry between Moore's 108th cap and Beckham's, should he win it tonight. Moore's last appearance for England was in a 1-0 defeat at Wembley in 1973.

The opponents that night? Italy. The scorer of the only goal? None other than current England boss Fabio Capello.

Zack Wilson, Goal.com