RE: Cheerio Becks!
RussyRover > 18/05/2013, 10:13
I was on the BBC website earlier and I came across this from Chris Waddle... It made me chuckle.. Even I would admit he would probably be in the top 1000!!!!
David Beckham not even in top 1,000 players - Waddle
Former England winger Chris Waddle says David Beckham is not one of the top 1,000 players of the last 40 years.
The ex-Manchester United midfielder is retiring at the end of the season.
"I would say he has been a good player, I wouldn't put him down as a great," Waddle, 52, told BBC Radio 5 live.
"You can go down a list of players from the Premier League or the 70s or 80s, whatever you want to do. I'll be honest, Beckham probably wouldn't be in the first 1,000."
"I think there have been a lot more talented players in the world. But he made the most of what he has got," said Waddle, who made more 100 appearances for four of his clubs - Newcastle, Tottenham, Marseille and Sheffield Wednesday - while winning 62 England caps.
"He has got a terrific image and used it very well. He never had a trick, wasn't particularly quick, but he was very good at set-pieces and deliveries, he made chances and made goals and was fantastic for clubs.
"He said the right things, he sold shirts, he put money in the tills wherever he went and conducted himself well."
"As a player I would say he was a fantastic crosser of the ball, a great athlete," said Waddle. "Now people will be talking about him and saying 'How great, how great'. I would say 'how good'.
"I would not say he was a great. He was very good at his job, he worked very hard as a professional footballer."