GARY Neville is in line to become the most-capped England full-back of alltime after being handed a surprise call-up by Fabio Capello.

After spending more than two years battling injury since making his last appearance against Spain at Old Trafford, Neville might have considered his Three Lions days to be over.

Even this term he has hardly been a regular at Manchester United and although he did play at Hull yesterday is only expected to be on the bench in Rome on Wednesday when Sir Alex Ferguson’s men take on Barcelona in the Champions League final.

But, just like his longtime friend David Beckham, Neville has been deemed worthy of a recall.

And, if he is picked for either match in next month’s World Cup doubleheader against Kazakhstan and Andorra, he will equal Kenny Sansom’s record for a full-back of 86 caps.

Indeed, as Capello would not have picked Neville if he did not believe he could make a meaningful contribution beyond two matches England should win to take maximum points from their first seven matches in Group Six, the 34-year-old could well end up getting somewhere close to the century mark before he eventually calls a halt to his international career.

Neville will scrap it out with Glen Johnson, who missed Portsmouth’s defeat at Wigan yesterday with a minor hamstring strain, for the right to face Kazakhstan in Almaty.

That Capello chose to draft in someone with so much experience suggests the time for untested rookies to be utilised before the World Cup finals in South Africa next summer is drawing to a close.

It is the goalkeeping department where Capello has most to worry about.

First and second choices David James and Ben Foster have been ruled out with shoulder and thumb injuries respectively.

West Ham’s Robert Green has emerged as first-choice despite winning just two caps, both as a second-half substitute in friendlies.

And with Joe Hart ruled out on form grounds after losing his place at Manchester City, Paul Robinson, who won the last of his 41 caps in the catastrophic European Championship defeat in Russia in October 2005, is recalled along with Scott Carson, who has just been relegated with West Brom.

England squad

ENGLAND squad for World Cup qualifying matches against Kazakhstan and Andorra:

Scott Carson . . . . . . . . .(West Brom)

Robert Green . . . . . . . . . .(West Ham)

Paul Robinson . . . . . . . . .(Blackburn)

Wayne Bridge . . . . . . . . . .(Man City)

Ashley Cole . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Chelsea)

Rio Ferdinand . . . . . . . . . . .(Man Utd)

Glen Johnson . . . . . . . .(Portsmouth)

Jolean Lescott . . . . . . . . . . .(Everton)

Gary Neville . . . . . . . . . . . .(Man Utd)

John Terry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Chelsea)

Matthew Upson . . . . . . . .(West Ham)

Gareth Barry . . . . . . . . . .(Aston Villa)

David Beckham . . . . . . . .(LA Galaxy)

Michael Carrick . . . . . . . . .(Man Utd)

Steven Gerrard . . . . . . . . .(Liverpool)

Frank Lampard . . . . . . . . . .(Chelsea)

Theo Walcott . . . . . . . . . . . .(Arsenal)

Shaun Wright-Phillips . . . .(Man City)

Luke Young . . . . . . . . . . .(Aston Villa)

Carlton Cole . . . . . . . . . .(West Ham)

Peter Crouch . . . . . . . . .(Portsmouth)

Jermaine Defoe . . . . . . . .(Tottenham)

Emile Heskey . . . . . . . . .(Aston Villa)

Wayne Rooney . . . . . . . . . .(Man Utd)