And he encouraged the Manchester United midfielder to use his talent to be the dominant force against the Germans in Charleroi by declaring: "The world is at his feet."

Keegan also showed his belief in striker Michael Owen, who was told by him just 12 hours after being substituted against Portugal that he would be starting against the Germans alongside captain Alan Shearer.

The England coach is set to opt for what many would interpret as a relatively safety-first line-up in a game which his side cannot afford to lose with just two changes to the side which lost against Portugal and the same 4-4-2 formation.

While he could have turned to Steven Gerrard, Nick Barmby or Emile Heskey, or switched formation to 5-3-2, Keegan wants to play to England's strengths and experience as they search for their first win against Germany in a competitive game for 34 years.

Dennis Wise therefore replaces the injured Steve McManaman on the left flank, although the Chelsea captain did miss the end of training at the stadium this evening due to an upset stomach - a similar complaint to the one which ruled out Tony Adams in Malta.

With Adams now out injured, Sol Campbell will meanwhile be partnered by Martin Keown at the heart of a back four in the same line-up with which Keegan began the build-up to the tournament against Brazil.

Beckham, however, is central to those plans and Keegan insists in the wake of him having reacted with a one-fingered gesture to a stream of verbal abuse from so-called England fans after the Portugal game that his temperament is the "least of his concerns".

The FA have meanwhile won their battle to ensure that the perspex tunnel leading from the pitch to the dressing-rooms is covered over to ensure that a similar incident cannot occur again.

Keegan declared: "Lots of people back home have been sending faxes to the team hotel and have been asking for them to be passed on to David.

"They're all telling him 'don't let them get to you'. They feel that what happened to him was unfair and totally unjustified, especially considering his performance against Portugal was so good.

"The hotel number is hard to find so I don't how they all got there!"

Keegan added: "David is a very strong character and a very determined lad. I'm looking for another performance like that on Monday.

"He has set the standard with that performance in defeat. Now we are looking for another such performance from him, this time in victory.

"Because of his ability, age and determination, he will be involved in future European Championships and World Cups. But there is no doubt about it - the world is at his feet.

"It's what he can do from here that interests him and me though."

Beckham was targeted for verbal abuse about his pop star wife and baby son by a small group of so-called England fans both before, during and especially after the game in Eindhoven.

To protect the players as they leave the pitch in Charleroi, the FA have therefore ensured that not only will there be adequate security in that area but that the perspex tunnel is covered.

Keegan added: "Some of the things that happened occurred where the people were very close to the players.

"These people were unbelievably abusive and I still can't understand them. But then again, I'm not sure that I want to."

Keegan is meanwhile confident that 20-year-old Owen will produce exactly the right reaction to his half-time replacement by Emile Heskey in Eindhoven and reproduce his form of the last World Cup against Argentina.

The England coach, who is surely counting on Owen's pace to cause considerable problems for Germany's 39-year-old veteran sweeper Lothar Matthaus, added: "Michael is a proven performer on the big stage and had a great game against Argentina.

"He enjoys the big matches, just like a few of the players in the squad do, such as David Beckham and Alan Shearer, and at least one or two others.

"This will not phase him. He is a young man but he has a lot of experience under his belt for one so young.

"I told him the reasons that I was taking him off against Portugal that he was not holding the ball up well enough. He does not always agree with what you have to say but he sits and listens and is very professional.

"Hopefully, we will get the right reaction from him but if he plays for 45 minutes like that again in a game as big as that then we will have to change things again.

"However, I told him 12 hours after the game against Portugal back at the base camp that he would be starting the next game. That gave him a boost."

Keegan meanwhile revealed that Adams and McManaman could still come under consideration for next Tuesday's final group game against Romania, even though the Arsenal defender had originally been ruled out until the knock-out stages if England progressed.

England must nevertheless defeat Germany - or at the very least draw - tomorrow if they are to ensure that the game against Romania does still hold the key to their qualifying chances.

The omens of history are, of course, not good in that Germany - or West Germany - have lost just two of the 14 games between the two countries since the 1966 World Cup final, and neither of them were in the six competitive games during that period.

Defeats against Germany at the 1990 World Cup and Euro '96 semi-finals have led to an attitude best expressed by Gary Lineker when he wryly remarked that football is a simple game - a match lasts for 90 minutes and at the end of it, the Germans win.

Keegan, however, will attempt to ensure that his team have no inferiority complex against an ageing and rigid German line-up which has been beset by internal dissent which makes the criticism from outside the England camp pale into insignificance.

The England coach concluded: "It's been a tough week for Erich Ribbeck and it's not been an easy one for me but those are the responsibilities which you accept with the job.

"In a historical sense, we have had a tough time against Germany over the years but that's just what that is - history.

"What is really important is what happens here in this match. I believe we can win it."