Showing the sort of decisiveness lacking in many of his predecessors when it came to selecting an England squad, Peter Taylor, the Leicester City manager and interim England boss, yesterday read out a list of names that amounted to a mini-revolution in England's international history. There was not a single player over 30 years of age and the youthful squad will have a 25-yearold captain - David Beckham.

Out of contention for England's friendly with Italy in Turin next Wednesday go Tony Adams, his Arsenal team-mates David Seaman and Martin Keown, plus Dennis Wise, Paul Ince and Teddy Sheringham, the latter called up by Howard Wilkinson for the World Cup qualifier in Finland four days after Kevin Keegan's last game as manager against Germany. In place of some of the old stalwarts come fresh faces such as Leeds United's promising young goalkeeper Paul Robinson, Derby County's Seth Johnson and Everton's Michael Ball. What England's new full-time manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, thinks of it all is unknown. He may never have heard of Seth Johnson.

Taylor indicated that he had not spoken to Eriksson prior to making his selection, but that he had talked to the senior players who had been omitted to reassure them that yesterday did not amount to the end of their international careers. "I have decided to go with players under 30," said Taylor at the squad announcement in Leicester. "I have spoken to the players in the last squad and they have fully understood why I have gone with this squad. It's a friendly and so it is worth experimenting."

Several of the squad, such as Rio Ferdinand and Johnson, have played successfully under Taylor when he was England's under-21 manager and there was widespread sympathy toward the radical nature of the shake-up, even if temporary. David James is the oldest squad member and may play in goal. Of Beckham, Taylor said: "Even though he's only 25 he's got a lot of experience and he's earned this."