.
Even this term he has hardly been a regular at Manchester United and although he did play at Hull this afternoon is only expected to be on the bench in Rome on Wednesday when Sir Alex Ferguson's men take on Barcelona in the Champions League final.
But, just like his long-time friend David Beckham, Neville has been deemed worthy of a recall. And, if he is picked for either match in next month's World Cup double-header against Kazakhstan and Andorra, he will equal Kenny Sansom's record for a full-back of 86 caps.
Indeed, as Capello would not have picked Neville if he did not believe he could make a meaningful contribution beyond two matches England should win to take maximum points from their first seven matches in Group Six, the 34-year-old could well end up getting somewhere close to the century mark before he does eventually call a halt to his international career.
Neville will scrap it out with Glen Johnson, who missed Portsmouth's defeat at Wigan on Sunday with a minor hamstring strain, for the right to face Kazakhstan in Almaty.
That Capello chose to draft in someone with so much experience suggests the time for untested rookies to be utilised before the World Cup finals themselves in South Africa next summer is drawing to a close.
Reservations over Matthew Upson's abilities in central defence may remain but the West Ham player has still been picked ahead of Nedum Onuoha, who was tipped for a first call-up in many quarters.
Manchester City are represented in the form of Wayne Bridge and Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was supposed to have been ruled out with a knee injury, only for boss Mark Hughes to discover the problem was not so bad after all.
All Capello's big-name outfield players have been picked, with Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole both recovered from the injuries suffered in the friendly win over Slovakia that subsequently kept them out of last month's victory against the Ukraine at Wembley.
Jermain Defoe returns after a three-match absence, while Theo Walcott is fit for international duty after dislocating his shoulder in training prior to the friendly win over Germany in Berlin last November.
It is the goalkeeping department where Capello has most to worry about, although even here he has gone for the tried and tested as first and second choices David James and Ben Foster have been ruled out with shoulder and thumb injuries respectively.
West Ham's Robert Green has emerged as first-choice despite winning just two caps, both as a second-half substitute in friendly matches.
And with Joe Hart ruled out on form grounds after losing his place at Manchester City to Shay Given, Paul Robinson, who won the last of his 41 caps in the catastrophic European Championship defeat in Russia in October 2005, is recalled along with Scott Carson, who has just been relegated with West Brom.
England squad for World Cup qualifying matches against Kazakhstan and Andorra:
Carson (West Brom); Green (West Ham); Robinson (Blackburn); Bridge (Man City), A Cole (Chelsea), Ferdinand (Man Utd), Johnson (Portsmouth), Lescott (Everton), Neville (Man Utd), Terry (Chelsea), Upson (West Ham)
Barry (Aston Villa), Beckham, Carrick (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), Walcott (Arsenal), Wright-Phillips (Man City), Young (Aston Villa)
C Cole (West Ham), Crouch (Portsmouth), Defoe (Tottenham), Heskey (Aston Villa), Rooney (Man Utd).
