WHILE all eyes were on David Beckham's international resurgence, a renaissance of far greater significance was brewing at England's training base in France.

The announcement that Rio Ferdinand would captain his country for the first time in tonight's match in Paris represented a final confirmation that the United defender's previous indiscretions have been forgiven.

If Beckham believes he has endured tribulations during his career, it is nothing compared to Ferdinand.

Beckham received a red card for his petulant kick out against Diego Simeone in 1998.

Ferdinand received an eight-month ban for failing to turn up for a drugs test.

Beckham became a figure of hate for supporters around the country.

Ferdinand was vilified by his own fans for stalling over a new contract at Old Trafford.

And if Beckham believes he has had to live up to lofty expectations, Ferdinand has operated under the considerable strain of being compared to England's World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore since emerging as a teenager at West Ham.

No-one could deny Ferdinand has been his own worst enemy on occasions - but likewise few could argue that he is not a player of supreme talent.

And unlike many of England's golden generation, he has rarely failed to produce for his country - excelling in both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

Fabio Capello's decision to try him out with the armband - and the FA are keen to press the point that his captaincy is only on a trial basis - is recognition of his form and maturity for both club and country.

If John Terry's selection as captain by Steve McClaren recognised the fact that he was the heartbeat of Chelsea's back-to-back titles under Jose Mourinho - Ferdinand, too, has been the rock on which United's resurgence has been based.

Meanest

His partnership with Nemanja Vidic has made United the meanest defence in the Premier League this season and taken them to the verge of retaining their title.

Indeed he would be leading his club as well as country, if not incurring the fury of Sir Alex Ferguson and Old Trafford when delaying over signing his current deal.

If supporters let their frustration be known, it was only because they didn't want to see Ferdinand strengthen one of their rivals - namely Chelsea, with whom he was linked.

They had seen how in 2002-03 he had been fundamental in rebuilding a defence that had been shattered by the departure of Jaap Stam and arrival of Laurent Blanc.

Likewise, they saw how United's title defence crumbled a year later when he was suspended midway through the season for failing to show for a random drugs test.

Of course, United were not the only ones to suffer at the hands of the FA's ruling, with England missing him for that summer's European Championships.

If Ferdinand's absence cost United the defence of their title in 2004, the continuation of his suspension at the start of the following season, killed their challenge before it had even begun.

Branded as over-priced at £30m when he arrived from Leeds, his cool approach has often been misconstrued as sloppy, soft and unfocused.

In truth, he is anything but the sort. A superb reader of the game, he doesn't need to be a blood and thunder Terry or Jamie Carragher type of defender to win the ball.

It is no coincidence that when at his best, so are United.

That Capello is considering him as a permanent captain is evidence that, like Steven Gerrard, Ferdinand is one of the England manager's untouchables.

Ferdinand will never be a heart-on-the-sleeve type like Gerrard or Terry but his admirable charity work and popularity among players suggests he could handle the full responsibility of the position.

It has been a long road from West Ham to England captain - via Leeds and Old Trafford - and should he make a success of it, those who compared a lanky teenager to the nation's finest skipper, might just have the last laugh.