Rumour has it that Jamie Carragher has made a sensational return to international football.

Despite the major broadcasters seemingly unwilling to accept the inevitable (Sky and BBC yet to report), Carragher seems set to make Fabio Capello's 30-man preliminary squad that will be announced on Tuesday.

So, just why has the 32-year-old decided to come out of his self-imposed international exodus to play in South Africa?

The decisive factor seems certainly to be the England head coach, Fabio Capello. After rejecting calls for a comeback on two previous occasions (one with McClaren, one with Capello), Carra seems finally have to given into the charms of the Italian.

An Italian with a decorated CV, including several domestic titles with AC Milan, AS Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid. Of course you won't need to tell Carragher that, a true student of the game, you can bet he's done his homework.

In fact Carragher has never been shy in his praise for Capello, "I'd love to work with Capello," he admitted in a recent interview with FourFourTwo.

Capello, likewise, seems an admirer of Carragher's work. While previous England managers have rarely regarded Carragher as a solution to their problems (most notably Sven Goran Eriksson), Capello appears determined to pick Liverpool's vice-captain despite an unspectacular campaign.

Perhaps Capello sees the art of a true Italian defender in Carragher, especially in the manner of how the stalwart reads the game. A defensive game that was developed with the aid of tapes, given to him by Reds boss Rafa Benitez, showing the defensive leadership of Franco Baresi at AC Milan.

For Carragher though, the lure of playing at the pinnacle of world football, for one of the outstanding managers in Europe, was just too great.

Afterall, the defender won't be playing Champions League football again next season and who knows when Liverpool will get back there? At the age of 32 and reaching the twilight of his career, Jamie must certainly realise there won't be many more opportunites like this on offer.