Will David Beckham run to the touchline and hug a euphoric England manager tonight if the man who Steve McClaren summarily axed last August scores a vital goal?

After all, the embrace is a common enough scene in big games these days. And although Estonia are only ranked 110th in the world, ahead of Syria but just behind Hong Kong, this is very definitely a big game for England.

Languishing down in fourth place in Group E, and with McClaren’s stewardship of the team being a recurrent topic of media debate, there is plenty at stake for both coach and country.

Victory for England, and a win for Croatia over Russia on the same night, would leave the Croatians way ahead and probably uncatchable on 19 points.

England would then join the Russians on 14 points, while Israel should move second on 17 after playing one game more — against Andorra the same day.

It’s still far from ideal for an England side who have largely underperformed since McClaren replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson.

But it would be a whole lot better than their plight should they draw, let alone lose in Tallinn to a side who are bound to raise their game.

The match at the diminutive A. Le Coq Arena, with its 9,000-plus capacity, could therefore be a showcase for someone who is good at the set-pieces which so often decide tight games.

Enter Beckham, whose desire to score after being sidelined by McClaren for 11 months can only be imagined.

Hugs all round? We’ll see.

Trevor Huggins is in Tallinn to cover England’s game against Estonia