England coach Fabio Capello wants Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes to come out of international retirement.

The Mirror says Scholes, who quit international football in 2004 after 66 caps in protest at being played out of position by Sven Goran Eriksson, has resisted all previous attempts to get him to change his mind.

But after persuading Jamie Carragher to perform a U-turn, the England hierarchy launched a last-gasp bid to prompt Scholes to end his England exile at the age of 35.

Talks began this morning with the initial signs that the Manchester United man might be willing to come back as a one-off for the World Cup.