Sir Bobby welcomes Beckham to the 100 club

'The first thing I noticed about David Beckham all those years ago was his infectious enthusiasm for the game,' Sir Bobby recalled with great fondness. 'He loved football and that was apparent when he was very young.'

Manchester United and England legend Sir Bobby is one of two proud survivors of the four-man elite to have won over 100 caps for his country.

They will be joined in the 100 club by Beckham in Paris on Wednesday.

'Some people might think that all David is about is an ability to strike a dead ball, to take free-kicks and corners, but he is about much more than that,' said Charlton, 70.

'Few can match him for his work ethic even though he has spent most of his career as a winger. His ability to deliver the ball with the accuracy he achieves is no accident. It's down to hard work, which has been the other example David has set his team-mates.'

This is the truth of Beckham. He may have become a global brand, a fashion icon, a trend-setter and a jetsetter, the symbol of modern sporting success. But he is also a grafter.

As players and as people, Charlton and Beckham may be poles apart but there is a bond of respect for each other and the game, for their patriotism in playing for England and for their shared love of United.

'The lad has a great engine, a remarkable will to win and those facts combined with his enthusiasm have given him a wonderful career.'

There is a place in Charlton's heart for the group Beckham grew up with at Old Trafford, which transcends the six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League win Beckham enjoyed before leaving for Real Madrid in 2003.

'We knew when he was about 14 that David was going to be special. I remember we took him to West Ham, the nearest club to his home, but it was after that he decided that he wanted to be at United. He had always been a big United fan.

'It was a unique time for the club because we had all these boys coming through. It wasn't just David but the Neville brothers, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs. We had a clutch. It was wonderful for Sir Alex Ferguson as they progressed from youth to reserves to national Under 21 and then full international status. It was just a fantastic time.'

As Beckham stands on the threshold of his 100th cap, Charlton hinted at how his prodigy will feel. Sir Bobby won his cap against Colombia at Wembley in 1970, four years after winning the World Cup with another centurion, the great Bobby Moore.

'Only Billy Wright before me had won 100 caps and I was very fond of Billy,' said Charlton. 'He was a wonderful man and our international careers just overlapped. The fact that I was joining Billy as only the second man to reach 100 gave me as much pride as the game itself.'

And in on Wednesday Charlton will feel a pride as Beckham reaches the milestone.

'You need to have stamina to get there, which David has, and you need to have luck with injury. He's had both and tonight will be very special for him.'