Beckham returns to England team

By Mike Collett

LONDON (Reuters) - David Beckham ended exactly 11 months exile from the England team when he was named in the starting line-up to face Brazil in the first England international at the new Wembley Stadium on Friday.

Beckham made his last England appearance in the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Portugal on July 1 last year when he won his 94th cap and was subsequently dropped from the squad when Steve McClaren took over as coach.

Michael Owen also returned to the starting line-up for the first time since being injured against Sweden in the World Cup last June. Owen, winning his 81st cap, was looking to add to his 36 England goals after scoring against Brazil the last two times he has faced them.

Reading left-back Nicky Shorey, who is getting married on Saturday, won his first England cap and became the first Reading player to pull on an England shirt since Herbert Smith in 1907.

Central defender Naldo of Werder Bremen was winning his first cap for Brazil, who beat England 2-1 the last time they met in the World Cup finals in Shizuoka in Japan in 2002.

Naldo, at 1.98 metres, is the tallest player ever to play for Brazil.

It is England's first match back at Wembley since they were beaten 1-0 by Germany in the last game at the old stadium in October 2000.

The match is being shown live on television in more than 100 countries.