WHAT’S the similarity between David Beckham and the late Diana, Princess of Wales? No, it’s not a joke - I’ll tell you. Both are/were drop-dead gorgeous. I saw Diana when she visited Park Cake in 1987. She had eyes that could turn your knees to jelly. No wonder she made sure the camera focused on them when she gave her interview to Martin Bashir.

Had she not been so beautiful, I doubt that we would have had the outbreak of national hysteria that marked her death in 1997. Princess Anne does as much if not more for charity but doesn’t have the film-star looks.

I believe it’s the same with David Beckham. If he looked like Peter Beardsley there would be a lot less interest in him.

Let me make it clear from the outset that I believe David Beckham to be a very talented footballer. As Gary Neville said on BBC Sports Personality of the Year, no one gets to play for Manchester United, AC Milan and Real Madrid unless they have great ability. Yet what has Beckham actually done to merit the five-minute cheering ovation he got from the audience?

It seems to me that he’s lived off three goals for his entire career - the long shot for Manchester United, the free kick against Greece and the penalty against Argentina in 2002. I could also throw in his sending-off against Argentina in 1998 and the way he ducked out of a tackle to allow Brazil to score against England in the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals.

I’m sorry. but I don’t get Beckham-mania. He’s been an above-average England player in a largely average England team. He’s got a lot of his caps thanks to substitutions. He was one member of a very successful Manchester United team. Why didn’t Ryan Giggs get a lifetime achievement award? Or Paul Scholes? They’ve both won as much silverware.

Sir Geoff Hurst, only man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, where’s his award? Or how about Gary Lineker, who played for Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham and scored some truly important goals. Anyone remember the World Cups of 1986 and 1990?

Nope, I put the adulation of Beckham down to his good looks. He’s a good player and, I’m sure, a good bloke. But an all-time great? Sorry, no.