'Hype comes from being British' - David Beckham has been voted the most overrated athlete of all time

Manchester United legend David Beckham has been shockingly voted the most overrated athlete of all time by fans.

Beckham shot to superstardom during his prolific playing career at Old Trafford, with the ex-United superstar enjoying incredible success under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 47-year-old former Red Devils winger lifted six Premier League titles, a Champions League and two FA Cups during his glittering spell at United.

Beckham went on to sign for Real Madrid in 2003 after a relationship rift with United legend Ferguson and lifted the La Liga title with the Spanish club.

The Inter Miami co-owner and president retired from football in 2013 after playing for LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain towards the end of his career.

Beckham was also captain of his country and scored 17 times in 115 appearances for the Three Lions, with the United legend representing England at World Cups and the Euros.

Despite his silverware success at club level and lasting impact on the sport, fans over at TheTopTens named the former England star as the most overrated athlete.

“David Beckham isn’t a terrible player, but his celebrity [status] vastly outshone his playing ability, especially for England,” one fan said after voting.

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Another added: “Totally overrated. He was a fine player, but come on, he never had any superstar runs like they said of him as.”

“All the hype comes from being British, and being extremely fashionable,” a third wrote.

Someone else commented: “The most overrated footballer I have ever seen in my lifetime.”

While one fan posted: “He is absolutely the most overrated athlete ever! He is a merchandising product, so they hype him a lot.”

And a sixth said: “He was an amazing football player, but he’s a bit overrated. Don’t get me wrong, though, I love him (as an athlete).”

Other bizarre additions to TheTopTens’ rankings included NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant as well as NFL icon Eli Manning.

Topics: David Beckham, Football

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

@AdnanRiaz9