It is possible to chart the precise moment when James Milner went from a long shot into a strong candidate for England’s World Cup finals squad next summer.

He had been on the pitch at the Amsterdam ArenA for only eight minutes, in the friendly against Holland in August, when he bravely beat John Heitinga to a bouncing ball, forced his way to the byline and delivered a perfect left-foot cross from which Jermain Defoe made the score 2-2.

It was a moment that said everything to Fabio Capello about the Aston Villa youngster: that he is committed, brave, two-footed, perceptive and utterly determined to make the most of any opportunity that comes his way. As a statement with which to start the season — and indeed his international career as a second-half substitute for Ashley Young, his Villa team-mate — it immediately resonated with the England manager.

The beauty of Milner is his versatility, which in turn is a reflection of his personality. He is a no-frills Yorkshireman, the kind that used to abound in the England cricket team. To use cricket parlance, he strikes you as a good tourist — not just an all-rounder on the pitch, but a good egg off it. He is someone who can be relied upon to perform whatever job is required of him, be it peripheral squad member, back-up at either full back position or, as is likely to be the case against Brazil in Doha on Saturday, deputising for the injured Steven Gerrard on the left side of midfield.

“Being versatile might help,” Milner said before the squad departure for Doha yesterday. “There’s a lot of competition for places. Every little thing that helps you is a good thing. I’m happy playing different positions. You can sulk and say you’re not going to enjoy it, or you can try to enjoy it and learn from it. It should make you a better player and help you understand the game a bit better.”

Regarding the importance of a good attitude, he added: “That’s a massive part of tournament football. The manager is looking at players who will do it on the field and prepare mentally off the field to be ready as well. It all comes into it.”

None of this would matter so much if he could not play a bit, too. To get the opportunity to prove himself against Brazil is, he said, the stuff of boyhood dreams, but Milner is determined to seize the chance with both hands.