LONDON England Coach Sven Goran Eriksson declined on Sunday to confirm whether or not he would name David Beckham as captain of the national side or to speculate on the composition of the side.

The former Lazio coach had already told a caller on a radio talkback show masquerading as former coach Kevin Keegan that he would retain the Manchester United midfielder as captain.

But he refused to be drawn by television interviewer David Frost in the BBC's "Frost on Sunday" show when asked directly if Beckham would be his captain.

Eriksson's first match as England coach will be a friendly against Spain at Villa Park, Birmingham, on February 28.

"David Beckham will be in the team, in the squad that's for sure," he said. "If he will be the captain, I don't know. We will see when we come together.

"He was the captain in the last game in Italy and I think he did a good job. But I haven't made any decisions so far."

Eriksson said it would also not be right to name the people who had impressed him during his travels around the Premier League grounds but added he planned to pick the best players in the country before deciding on his tactics.

"Many years ago when I was younger I did it the other way," he said. "I chose the tactics and then I put in the players. But I've changed ideas there, I think the players are the most important.

"You have to pick the best players you can find in this country and then you can choose the tactics."

Eriksson said there were many good young players in England.

"The big question is are they ready to play international top football or not," he said. "But I still have three weeks before we pick our first squad for the friendly against Spain."

(Reuter)