England have waited a long time for the real Steve McManaman to stand up.

The flashes of brilliance which can transform matches have too often been confined to club football and even those became less frequent in his latter days at Liverpool. It's all rather reminiscent of another Anfield winger before him - John Barnes.

Now, though, 'Macca' has embarked upon an adventure with Real Madrid which has opened his mind to his potential.

'He's got off to a good start. I just hope the Madrid fans are thinking he can continue like that,' said Real's coach John Toshack. 'In Madrid first impressions are very important to people and he's started off well. I hope England will benefit from him playing in Spain.'

Nurtured during nine years as a professional at Liverpool, McManaman finally decided to break the chains of the cosy adulation he was guaranteed by the fans as a Scouser to risk his reputation and future amid the fierce heat of Madrid.

He joined Real on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling during the summer. It was a decision which many predicted would end in failure. And quickly.

McManaman flattered too often, they said, and could not satisfy the demanding Madrid supporters' desire for success in the wake of Barcelona's dominance of Spanish football.

The 27-year-old's profligacy in front of goal and the fact that Madrid signed him before Toshack's return to the club as coach in February only added to the doubts.

If the Spanish adventure went wrong, McManaman might quickly have discovered that England had forgotten him, too.

Instead, a number of impressive substitute appearances as he adjusts to the pace of Spanish football and two goals in his first two home games in the intimidating atmosphere of the Bernabeu stadium have led Toshack to lead the admiring voices.

'He's on his way now,' added the Welshman, who partnered Kevin Keegan in the Liverpool forward line in the Seventies. 'Steve had a difficult start. The first three or four days he had horrific blisters.

'In fairness to him he never missed a training session, but they impeded his pre-season work and he struggled to get the necessary fitness in the first few games. At first we played him 45 minutes at a time and then took him off.

' Apart from the logical problems of adapting to the language, we've played two games in the Bernabeu now and he has scored in both. He gave everyone at the club a boost when he came on against Milan and got a goal and then in the last home game against Numancia, he came on in the second half, scored again and did very well.

'He needs about another 10 days and another couple of matches and then he'll be right. Hopefully with England he'll get two 90 minute matches. That would be good for us as well as for England.

'He's adapting to the life in Spain as well. You've got to learn the language when you go abroad out of respect. I think British people very often fall down on that aspect.

'I speak to him in English, of course, but he's settled in very well with the lads. One side of learning the language is your football and your work. You get to know the football terms, but when the fridge breaks down or the television's not working then it's another matter. '

One of the problems McManaman has experienced in the past has been the uncertainty over his best position - whether to play in a free role behind the strikers or as a wide player expected to beat defenders and deliver the final ball. On Saturday, Keegan will almost certainly ask him to play on the left against Luxembourg.

Toshack is adamant that is the wrong side of the pitch. He said: 'Tactically it has been made clear to him that he has been brought here to play as a right-sided attacking player. I know that at Liverpool and with England he's been given other jobs, but his job here will be to give us balance on the right-hand side.

'What Kevin wants to do with him is up to him, but we think that's the position he knows better than anything else. It's where he started off. '

Even if Keegan has different plans for McManaman, he has detected a change in the player around the England squad's Burnham Beeches training centre this week.

'I saw a different Steve McManaman,' said Keegan. 'He's always been a decent trainer but this time he definitely looked extremely focused.'

The player himself, sporting a Spanish glow and looking relaxed, felt sufficiently comfortable with the positive opinions of his club and national coach to respond to Keegan's comments with a joke.

'If the boss talked about seeing a different me in training, maybe he meant more of a suntan, ' said McManaman. 'I feel I haven't acted or behaved any differently from the last squad I was involved in to this.

'OK, the way things have gone with Madrid have given me pleasure and confidence. I've come here with the team at the top of the league which is what the fans demand. I've scored a couple of goals - everything's going well.

'Apart from starting the games I couldn't really have wished for anything else, particularly as everything I've left behind is very positive. It's good to look forward to the prospect of going back to Madrid after England and carrying on.'

Success with his country is something which McManaman values highly. He knows that, during his career in Spain, the club's Ciudad Deportivo training complex will be a lonely place during international weeks if he is not picked for England.

He insists that making the squad will no longer be sufficient following the frustrations he experienced in last summer's World Cup. His only appearance in France was a 17-minute cameo role as substitute for Paul Scholes with England cruising to victory in their final group match against Colombia.

So far it has been a different tale under Keegan. He started both of the new coach's early games, at home to Poland and the friendly in Hungary.

The death of his mother meant he was omitted from the summer qualifiers against Sweden and Bulgaria.

'I think there is a lot more to come from me at international level,' added McManaman, who has 24 England caps.

'I want to achieve things. It's OK playing well, but if you don't win things then I don't think you can be compared with teams of the past.

'The World Cup was frustrating after a great Euro 96. When I went there I felt that I could do a job.

'At Real Madrid it will be quiet when there's an international week and you're not involved. A couple of weeks ago the Dutch played and the Spanish played when England didn't have a game and it was very quiet around the training ground.'

When he returns t1o Madrid next Friday, the Liverpudlian hopes to have happy tales to tell in his improving Spanish.