Merseyside duo Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney mix with the likes of Leicester's Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor, who hails from Birmingham.

Throw in the Geordie twang of Michael Carrick and it is probably easy to see how Capello gets confused.

"I must admit I have a little trouble understanding Northerners," he told Sky Italia.

"When we talk about football, the vocabulary is fairly limited, but when we get away from that it becomes more difficult."

Not that you could tell by Capello's first year in charge.

Last week's defeat in Spain may have brought a much-needed reality check to England's supporters but their coach remains relatively pleased at how his work has progressed.

Yet he admits the acid test will come at Wembley on April 1 when England entertain the Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier hoping to prove what they have achieved in Croatia, Belarus and Germany can be repeated on home soil.

"We have had some good results, more so away from home," he said.

"But I am very curious to evaluate the team in the next two games.

"When I was a player, Wembley was a temple of football where it was almost impossible to win, but now it is a place to be conquered. We have to change that."

Not that Capello feels patriotic enough to sing the national anthem. He may be fully behind the English cause but there are some lines that just should not be crossed.

"I won't sing the national anthem because I feel it is wrong to sing another country's anthem," he said.

"I do get goosebumps when I hear it though."

Bizarrely, one of the men likely to be required to face the Ukraine is David Beckham, who by that time should have beaten Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an outfield player.

Capello's desire to use Beckham is amazing given the Italian bombed the player out at Real Madrid two years ago as he tried to make his mark at the Bernabeu.

But Beckham's fortitude won Capello round and he now admits his treatment of the former Three Lions skipper was a mistake.

"It was the toughest moment of my career," he recalled.

"I arrived with the dressing room in disarray. Beckham had already signed for LA Galaxy and we wanted to send a message to the rest of the team that we only wanted those who focused on Real Madrid.

"But he continued training with us very hard, so I put him back in the side.

"I was not worried at the turnaround, because in life you must admit your mistakes. He gave us a little extra that helped us win La Liga."

ends