HE'S said to be one of the greatest players this country has ever produced.

Thanks to his lightning speed, and a great right foot - not to mention his famous wife - David Beckham has become a household name across the globe.

He's picked up numerous soccer awards, not to mention yellow cards, but now Manchester's beloved 'Becks' has another honour to add to his list ... being named among Preston's worst ever XI.

In the latest issue of Raising the Coffin, Preston North End's monthly in-house fanzine, Beckham retains his famous number seven shirt and takes up a position on the right wing, alongside such Deepdale 'legends' as goalkeeper Steve Woods, striker John Calligan and defender Simon Gibson.

Beckham's inclusion in the Worst Ever XI is thanks to his time at Deepdale, in 1995, when he was farmed out on loan by Manchester United.

They wanted then-boss Gary Peters to 'harden him up,' ready for life in the Premiership. Legend had it that Beckham - who hadn't taken to wearing skirts while he was Deepdale - used to blush when his PNE team-mates saw the up-and-coming heartthrob in football magazines!

His inclusion in the Worst XI remains something of a mystery, especially as he was beginning to show some of the skills which have made him such a respected player.

The article cheekily reads: "The one thing you could be sure of though was his temperament, and he could never be accused of being petulant or arrogant or short-tempered or erratic."

The team comprises of: Steve Woods, Lee Fowler, Simon Gibson, Craig Allardyce, Mark Jones, Barry Bunn, Greg Challender, Dale Rudge, David Beckham, John Calligan, and Vernon Allatt.

No one has been named as the manager of this dubious team, although we hear Brian Kidd is looking for a job!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.