He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle, and he does not score many goals. Apart from that, he’s all right – Football legend George Best on David Beckham.

David Beckham is considered as God’s Gift to Soccer in Britain and a celebrity even in his new home, the U.S.

Five years back, our own Gurinder Chaddha made a popular English movie – Bend it Like Beckham – featuring two football crazy British girls (Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley) who are in awe of Beckham’s prowess with the ball.

But a recent article by writer Aleksandar Hemon in New Republic (subscription required) does such a thorough hatchet job on Beckham in the context of his $250 million deal with L.A. Galaxy that it will change the way you think of this football celebrity.

Not content with describing Beckham as “an occasionally good player”, Hemon goes on to lash the soccer star as “being the most overrated and overpaid player in the history of sports.”

Whether you agree with the article or not, it’s a nice piece by Hemon (The New Republic July 23, 2007 P.17-18). Get hold of it from your local library.