PEOPLE seem to be queuing up to write off David Beckham's career as over after the England midfielder tore his Achilles tendon playing for AC Milan on Sunday.

Well, I for one, do not believe the time has come for Golden Balls to hang up his Golden Boots just yet. In fact, I would not be surprised if he rocked up on these shores next January looking for another loan deal at one of the sides in the top half of the Premier League.

The bare facts suggest that will not be the case, and that Becks will do well to play again. He's too old, people cry. It's a terrible injury, others shout. Yes, he is getting on a bit and, yes, it is not a nice injury, and one that will keep him out of action for a number of months.

But two things that are unlikely to dwindle any time soon is Beckham's desire and his engine.

The desire, the fire in the belly, has been laid bare for all to see. Say what you want about his England caps. Granted, they don't come with the same prestige as they did 30 years ago, but what do you want him to do about it? The fact is, Beckham loves playing for his country. He wears the shirt with the kind of pride that few of his contemporaries can claim to match.

Then there is his engine. How many 34-year-olds do you know that would be able to put their bodies through the rigours of what is effectively a year-long season?

Now plying his trade across the pond for LA Galaxy, Beckham's season begins in mid-March and runs all the way through until the end of November. At that point, while many of his fellow professionals are treating themselves to a well-deserved break, Beckham is back on the plane and jetting over to England, where he regularly trains with Arsenal's first-team.

Not content with taking on a few more extra weeks of training, he then secures himself a loan deal at one of Europe's premier clubs, AC Milan, where he is still able to cement his place as a vital member of the squad during his short-term stay, starting in January for several months, before he flies back to the States to start the cycle all over again.

Two facts about Beckham tell you everything you need to know about the man and both concern current England boss Fabio Capello.

Firstly, Beckham achieved what very few footballers have managed during his time with Real Madrid. After famously falling out of favour with the Italian coach, instead of stamping his feet and throwing his million-dollar toys out of the pram, Beckham simply put his head down and trained even harder. Sure enough, he convinced Capello to give him another chance, and Madrid went on to win their first La Liga title in three years.

Secondly, upon being made aware of Capello's intention to drop him from the England set-up unless he found employment at a club playing in the highest echelons of the game, Beckham effectively doubled his workload by signing a loan deal with Milan, which he has honoured for two seasons whilst juggling his commitments to the Galaxy.

That is why Beckham will return to the football field. The man simply doesn't understand the meaning of the word 'no'. There literally is no such thing as 'can't' with Beckham.

So, for all those critics calling for him to leave his shirt on the coathanger once and for all, be prepared for a surprise.

Capello has already said there is a place for Beckham with England when he returns, by which time the national team will be gearing themselves up for the European Championship qualifiers later this year. As long as there is even a glimmer of hope that he may one day represent his country again, expect him to give it everything he's got, and prove a few people wrong along the way.