This week David Beckham, one of world sport’s – or indeed the world’s – most recognised figures, announced he was hanging up his squillion dollar Adidas-sponsored boots.
Looking back on Beckham’s career in the public spotlight, one instantly thinks of the good looks, the haircuts, the hair colours, the fashion (including that ridiculous sarong), the screaming women, the pop star wife – pretty much all the things that made him a celebrity rather than a footballer.
It is for this reason that many deduce his football ability must have been overstated and his career on the pitch owed more to his ability to generate shirt and ticket sales than it did from winning football matches.
Just a few days ago, former England midfielder Chris Waddle commented Beckham would not be in the top 1000 EPL players ever.
For a player who won six premier league titles and a Champion’s League trophy, such a statement is quite laughable. However, the point Waddle was trying to make was Beckham’s ability was not consummate to his fame.
Perhaps this is true, but many underestimate just how good a player Beckham was – you don’t get awarded runner up for world player of the year twice just for being a clothes horse.
George Best once said, “Beckham cannot kick with his left foot, can’t head a ball, can’t tackle and he doesn’t score enough goals, but besides that he’s alright.”
Funnily enough this is all true to a degree, but what this comment does highlight, albeit in a subtle way, is just how good Beckham’s strengths were.
Beckham’s right boot was a wand. Has there ever been a player that could hit a free kick or a corner as well as he could? And for crossing ability he is probably the best ever in that category as well.
Many point to the fact Beckham could not (or least did not try to) dribble past opponents. But to be honest he simply didn’t need to – his crossing from deep was so precise and had so much arch on it he did not need to run the risk of beating his player to put a cross in.
One only has to watch a YouTube compilation of Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole or Van Nistoolrooy, to see just how many goals Beckham’s passing put on a platter to his Manchester United teammates.
Beckham made the game look simple and correspondingly people don’t realise how great he was.
I was guilty of believing he owed his career to his celebrity; however that changed when I saw him play against Melbourne Victory in 2011.
To truly evaluate a sportsman’s performance one must watch the contest live to have an awareness of how they affect the overall match and how they unlock (or create) problems on the field of play among the chess board of moving players.
For 90 minutes, every time Beckham received the ball he would control it perfectly, spot a run from a teammate no one else in the stadium would have, and then deliver it to them with pin-point accuracy, all with poise and grace.
It was like watching a puppet-master pull the strings of the game. All his teammates had to do was run and he would get the ball to their feet.
It must be said that the sum total of his skills were not the best on the field that day – that honour probably went to Harry Kewell or Landon Donovan.
However, there was no arguing Beckham’s effectiveness and impact on the match stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
Sometimes in sport we see players who collect a stack of individual awards but never win any team prizes and others, like Beckham, who seem to win wherever they play. This owes to our fascination with flashiness and showy skills, rather than evaluating the actual effect that player had on the result.
Beckham just recently became the only British player ever to win a league championship in four different countries. This is not by coincidence, it is testament to Beckham’s ability to positively impact a match and proof he deserves to be considered up there among the top tier who have played the game.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Tough one too call Daniel! Am not as brave as you so would say Beckham in the top 500 and Waddle in the 500-1000 bracket !! In all fairness Waddle was magical at Marseille with Papin and Francescoli up front so he might well deserve a much higher spot!
Daniel Hackett
Roar Rookie
Stevo, try watching a youtube compliation of Brian (not Michael) Laudrup and Dejan Savicevic!
Daniel Hackett
Roar Rookie
Beckham maybe 50th?! Waddle about 200th i'd say!
Daniel Hackett
Roar Rookie
haha agree with both of you - as this song demonstrates Waddle loves being in the limelight and his comments re Beckham are tinged with envy. As I think Stevo said, Waddle was a great player but surely Beckham would rank 10's or hundreds above him in his 'top 1000' list.
Daniel Hackett
Roar Rookie
But that's exactly my point Max... the fact that his career has been defined by his marketability has seemed to have detracted from his playing - which at his peak in the late 90's and early noughties, was up there in the best 5 or 10 players in the world - the guy was a freak.
Stevo
Guest
The slalom runs of Maradona and Messi are something above special.
Steve
Guest
Fuss is right, but I don't actually think it's the football that Waddle envies: it's the pop culture adoration. Chris Waddle would have loved some of that! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDyPzuoxEog
Wat Le Fark
Roar Rookie
Beckham got the best crowd ever for a SFC game at ANZ?
Midfielder
Guest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9foCJDVTbYg
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Have a lot of respect for Waddle's on-field prowess, but don't think I've ever read anything Waddle said that suggests his opinion is of more value than other football professionals, who rate Beckham as "one of the best". I can only assume Waddle falls into a 3rd category: c) People, who try to diminish Beckham's achievements because they are consumed by envy.
Stavros
Guest
So where does Chris Waddle fit into your observations?
Davooo
Guest
Totally agree! Best long range passer of the ball the game has ever seen!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
From my observations, the people who "don't rate David Beckham as a footballer" are people: a) who weren't alive when Becks became a 1st team regular at ManUnited; or b) were alive, but didn't watch enough football, when Becks became a 1st team regular at ManUnited Runner-up in the Ballon d'Or in 1999 .. with 2 corners in injury time at the Camp Nou that won the UCL for ManUnited, when the engraver had already started etching "Bayern Munchen" on "Big Ears". Without a shadow of doubt, David Beckham is one of the best footballers I've had the pleasure of watching in my lifetime. THANK YOU, Becks - you've given me some my best sporting memories.
Midfielder
Guest
Becks.... Without doubt the most under-rated player by the broader football community... see comments by everyone that played with him if proof is needed of what he was worth... What Becks showed was a new part of football structure... he could pass a ball equal to of not better than anyone I have ever seen... However if passing and hard-work was the only part of his game then I agree with his critics he is over rated... THE BIG difference he showed was most of the passes he made and he made lots of them where to the right person and who and where to pass to is such a skill for a team that plays in structure ... Adding to this was he was almost always in position and held his shape almost dragging the team into shape ... and was the go to person rarely lost the ball and mostly made the right decision... Becks made almost every time the correct decision that along with how well placed they where and he was always in position is what made him great ... not in dribbling, not with speed ... but because of his decision making, positioning and passing ability...
Stevo
Guest
Thanks for this article. Nicely sums up Becks as a footballer and we should also appreciate his media skills off the pitch. As you say, certainly a player in the top tier.
Max Weber
Roar Pro
Underrated? He's a very good player as you say, but his career hasn't been defined by that- it's been defined by the fact he's a supremely marketable player. All his retirement shows is how well he, and his management, have cultivated his 'image'. Compare the saturation of coverage his retirement has gotten to that of Paul Scholes- without doubt a far superior player, but you'd be hard pressed to even know he was retiring with all the Beckham coverage. Not to mention Beckham has been in semi-retirement ever since he went to the MLS anyway.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Waddle is the only marseille player I liked but I think he was out of order here. Not in the top 100 would have been open to discussion, not in the top 1000 is just rubbish. Any players who have been at the top of world football for 20 years are exceptional and Beckham is no different. Does Waddle think he is in the 1000 club? Tbh, I do but if he is, Beckham should be in to, and a few hundreds places above.
MV Dave
Guest
Beckham was a top class Footballer...you don't get to play in Championship and Champions League winning teams otherwise. Deadly with his set pieces, crosses and long range passing he would be in my Hall of Fame. The fact that his fame transcended Football seems to be held against him by some...perhaps tall poppy syndrome? Certainly his retirement was a major announcement in world sport as evidenced by this BBC article; http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22568347 Well done Becks and look forward to your continued involvement in World Football Football for years to come.
Swampy
Guest
Couldn't agree more. How England couldn't see fit to at least run Beckham on late from the bench the last few years astounds me. His ability from set pieces alone was so dangerous, particularly for a team that was so, so poor at the delivery (but so good in the air). Does anyone remember the fear Alvaro Recoba sent through our hearts every single time he delivered a set piece during that fateful night in November 2005? Beckham was better than that - every time. Beckham's 4 European clubs were Man U, Real Madrid, AC Milan and the surging PSG. Not a bad résumé at all. And he won everywhere he went. Beckham over time was indeed strangely under rated. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.