Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez believes Fabio Capello would succeed as England manager because he is "a winner".

The Football Association board have approved Capello's appointment subject to the successful conclusion of contract negotiations.

FA officials were locked in talks with the 61-year-old Italian's advisors on Thursday going through the final details of a contract.

Those discussions will continue on Friday but the deal is all but done.

Now Liverpool's Spanish manager believes Capello will overcome any language difficulties and will prove himself.

Benitez said: "I know him, he is a great manager. He is a good worker and has clear ideas what to do. He is a winner.

"If you want to express something it is not easy as I found out. But he has experience and I am sure he will handle it."

Benitez's fellow Premier League manager Alex McLeish believes Capello can steer England to the upper reaches of world football.

McLeish, who quit as Scotland boss after their narrow failure to reach 2008 and joined Birmingham said:

"He has a fantastic lot of talent to choose from and I'm sure Capello will have England as one of the top nations in the world again.

"The expectation levels are that England should be competing for the big trophies and Capello could be the man to do that.

"He is capable of handling any pressure. He won't be fazed by the job and he has got the necessary experience."

Zvonimir Boban was part of Capello's 1994 Champions League-winning side at Milan.

He has fond memories of working under the Italian but warned England's players against getting on the wrong side of him.

"He's a very tough person," the former Croatia midfielder said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He has a great feeling for tactics and also prepares for matches in the perfect way. He sometimes wants to create conflict inside the dressing room because in that way he can get the best from players.

"My relationship with him was very complicated. We would fight and make up. When you fight with Capello, it's very difficult to know if he's angry or not or if he just wants your reaction.

"He wants to keep big tension in the group."

AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf believes Capello can get the best out of the England team.

Seedorf played under Capello during his first stint in charge of Real Madrid in the late 1990s.

Dutchman Seedorf told Sky Sports News: "He can make something out of the team.

"It will be a big chance for him and he will be a good choice if they choose him. I know he will be dedicated to getting the best out of it.

"You see what he has done in his career, you can only hope for the best.

"As a player you train hard. He is a man who wants 100% from every player for every training and every game but he is also a man you can talk with."

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