Beckham provided his own riposte to the detractors when he accompanied the Olympic flame from Greece to Britain, saying: ‘Whenever I have been asked about shirt sales or filling stadiums it has felt disrespectful.

‘Throughout my career I have been pretty successful. I’ve played for some pretty big teams, represented my country quite a few times and played for managers without sentiment. No, I don’t want to be picked for shirt sales or as a stadium filler. I want to be picked for what I can bring to the team.’

Pearce, who has yet to decide whether to make public his shortlist on Friday, is understood to see Beckham as bringing experience garnered at Manchester United and Real Madrid and in 115 appearances for England to help a squad aged under 23,bar the three over-age players.

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