David Beckham agrees with Alex Ferguson that he was not 'world class'

The former Manchester United manager's latest autobiography includes a claim that he managed only four players deserving of that description during his long Old Trafford reign.

Former England captain Beckham was a notable absentee from a list which comprised of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona.

But asked if he was "insulted" by his omission, Beckham told BBC News: "Not at all.

"I played for the greatest manager of all time for the amount of time that I did, I was lucky to play with the players I did and be successful with the club that I loved and still love.

"I tend to agree with the manager. There's certain players that you can call world-class, thankfully I played with many of them.

"I'm proud as a Manchester United player that we were successful and I'm proud as a Manchester United player that we have the best players come to our team."

World class is an overused term in football, but it is difficult to agree with Ferguson's assertion that Beckham was not world class. You don't turn out for clubs such as United, Real Madrid and Milan if you are not world class. At the peak of his powers, around the late 90s and early part of the noughties, it should not be disputed that Becks was world class. You could probably make a strong case for Roy Keane and Bryan Robson too. You don't need to wonder why Keano wasn't on Fergie's list. Not that he will care.

Beckham's delivery from dead balls was the best on the planet. That alone made him world class. It may not have been as appealing as a mazy Ryan Giggs run, but it should not be disputed. Fergie's decision to omit Beckham from the list is slightly bizarre, but he has a book to sell. Beckham handled the subject with diplomacy. Which is more than Fergie managed.