Beckham not among top 1,000 players: Waddle

David Beckham would not rank among the top 1,000 players of the last 40 years, former England winger Chris Waddle said on Friday in comments at odds with glowing tributes to the retiring midfielder.

David Beckham would not rank among the top 1,000 players of the last 40 years, former England winger Chris Waddle said on Friday in comments at odds with glowing tributes to the retiring midfielder.

Beckham, who announced his retirement on Thursday, has won trophies and titles in four countries and earned 115 caps for England - a record for an outfield player. The former England captain has become one of the world’s best known and wealthiest footballers.

“I would say he has been a good player, I wouldn’t put him down as a great,” said Waddle. “You can go down a list of players from the Premier League or the 70s or 80s. I think there has been a lot more talented players in the world. But he made the most of what he has got.”