"What a d**khead" - Ben Foster reveals Fabio Capello's level of respect as England manager was damaged because of incident with David Beckham

Fabio Capello wasn't a popular figure in the dressing room during his spell as England manager.

Former Three Lions goalkeeper Ben Foster has recalled a controversial incident involving Capello and David Beckham that caused the coach to lose the squad's respect.

Foster narrated:

"It wasn't a particularly happy place. He [Fabio Capello] was a very strict manager. I've got a few stories about him, but here's one. David Beckham was in the England squad at the time and we were playing at Wembley... I can't remember the game."

"In the Wembley changing rooms there's space everywhere, there's space to burn. Becks was in there playing two-touch with someone, I don't remember who. He was doing this two-touch and keeping it up, and Capello just bowled in, he always had a cob on basically, a moody face. He walked straight in the middle of these two players, took the ball and just walked off with it."

The goalkeeper further explained how England's players reacted to the incident. He continued:

"It was as if to say 'This is the changing rooms. Stop d***ing about.' Everyone was watching it thinking, 'This is David Beckham! He's just nicked the ball off David Beckham!’ I understand being strict, but that makes everyone look at you and think 'What a d**khead. Why'd you bother doing that?'"

Fabio Capello was appointed England manager on December 14, 2007. The Italian served the team until February 8, 2012, before leaving to manage the Russian national team. He also had a short stint with Chinese outfit JS Suning and finally called time on his career in 2018.

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Fabio Capello's managerial career in summary

Fabio Capello retired from management in 2018

Despite struggling towards the end of his coaching career, Fabio Capello maintains a spot among the most successful managers in football history. The 75-year-old worked with some of the biggest teams on the continent, including Real Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and AS Roma.

During his time in the dugout, Capello claimed one Champions League crown, five Serie A titles, four Italian Super Cups and two La Liga titles. He also won the Copa Italia and the UEFA Super Cup in a highly decorated career.