We had been told by those in the media and by those who know Fabio Capello best that he is his own man, he does not sway to sentiment or even public interest. Judging from his first international squad as England manager, which has been revealed this afternoon, that is clearly the case.

Of course, the absence of David Beckham will take the headlines and become the main talking point but why should Capello pick him? That would have been the easier option. Forgetting for a moment the fact that like Sir Don Bradman he is short of a historic milestone, the 32-year-old midfielder has not played a competitive match since the MLS season finished last October. He is not match-fit. End of story. England caps are a privilege not a guarantee as they were under previous regimes.

We don’t want a return to those pampering days when Sven-Goran Eriksson fawned over his then captain. As loyal a servant as he has been over the past decade, Beckham has to earn the right to a call-up and his time will surely come provided he reaches the appropriate level of game fitness over the next few months, Besides, had he not been ‘clever’ and picked up a booking against Wales, thus missing an easy trip to Azerbaijan a few years ago, then he would have reached his century already and this argument would have been academic.

Looking at the other names in Capello's provisional 30-man squad, which will be trimmed to 23 by the weekend, there are some interesting names, most notably the five from Aston Villa where the Martin O’Neill revolution is taking shape.

The goalkeepers, minus Paul Robinson, look comfortable and steady enough. The most surprising exclusion, though, is that of West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green who can be amazing at times at club level but has had little opportunity in an England shirt.

There are 12 defenders – evidence of the manager's pragmatic nature and his engrained Italian belief that you need a strong back-line to be successful. With John Terry injured, this is an excellent chance for Jonathan Woodgate, Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards and, if he stays fit long enough, Ledley King to stake a claim for the centre-backs slots. Most pleasing is the sight of Matthew Upson back in the fold, who was predicted for great things when he was with Arsenal, and is now fulfilling those predictions at West Ham, having been free of injury.

Without Beckham, the midfield looks fairly straightforward with Jermaine Jenas, in excellent form recently, an exciting prospect. The only downside was that it would have been good to see Aaron Lennon, demoted to the under-21 side; when I saw England at the world cup, he was seen at the time as being the long-term solution to the right-hand side of the team.

Up front, Dean Ashton should be the squad, ahead of Peter Crouch and possibly an under-performing Michael Owen and it is a shame that Capello did not fancy him on this occasion. For Jermain Defoe, though, this should be further confirmation that he should leave Tottenham and get first-team football elsewhere, at Portsmouth, otherwise his international aspirations will never be fulfilled.

Capello is certainly his own man. The initial signs that he can turn around England’s underachieving fortunes look optimistic at this stage.


Fabio Capello’s first England squad to play Switzerland on February 6:

Goalkeepers
David James (Portsmouth), Scott Carson (Aston Villa, loan), Chris Kirkland (Wigan Athletic)

Defenders
Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Curtis Davies (Aston Villa, loan),
Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicky Shorey (Reading), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders
Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham Hotspur), Owen Hargreaves (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), David Bentley (Blackburn Rovers),

Forwards
Emile Heskey (Wigan Athletic), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Michael Owen (Newcastle United), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Peter Crouch (Liverpool)