World Cup great Pele has no doubt David Beckham deserves to win his 100th England cap against France on Wednesday night.Brazilian Pele sees Beckham as an example to team-mates and supporters on and off the pitch.

Asked on talkSPORT about the former captain's credentials as a centurion, Pele made his admiration for Beckham clear.

"When we talk about great players, it's not easy to get a player who is a great on the field and an example off the field," he said.

"You [England] have a lot of good players, excellent players. But I look at his behaviour; I look at his performance on the field. That is the example for the youngsters."

Asked if Beckham is still good enough to play for England, Pele said: "In his position - of course.

"He, for me, is always selected for my team - because he is a very intelligent player.

"A lot of people make the mistake [of criticising Beckham] because they think Beckham is a scorer, a striker. But no, he is a player who 'assists' and who works hard for the team in midfield."

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