Golden boy shows his true mettle

Glittering gems are just one of the reasons for David Beckham's acclaim. On Saturday afternoon he had two of them, one studded in each ear. It was nearly 6 o'clock and as Beckham confessed to being "exhausted and a little desperate" an hour earlier, fresh beads of perspiration appeared on his forehead. It was the sweat on England's diamond.

Whereas the much photographed white boots emblazoned with the date and the England flag may have served as the definitive image of progress to Japan and South Korea, on a day when hard, hard work and "digging deep" were fundamental to England's victorious draw, Beckham's Stakhanovite glow provided a more appropriate motif.

If Beckham is an industry, then this effort showed why. It is not just about being handsome, affable and married to a pop star, ultimately it is about the football and the relentless practice it takes to be bracketed with the best.

From his local park in Chase Lane, east London, under the eye of his father, Ted, to Old Trafford and the influence of Eric Cantona, Beckham's dedication would shame that of many a record breaker. It should not surprise that after a family night on Saturday with his guest at the match, the young rapper Usher, Beckham was back at Manchester United's training ground early yesterday morning, doubtless bending dead balls over wooden walls into empty nets.

It is from that grey labour that glorious Technicolor moments like Saturday's come. Not even Manchester City fans or Scotsmen could begrudge the 26 year-old his adoration.

The true global scale of that will be shown when he reaches the Far East. That will see Beckham fanaticism reach new levels of intrusion and pressure, but an hour after such a game as this, even the downside of his celebrity seemed to be tolerable.

Having remarked on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham's goals in Manchester United's equally late European Cup triumph in Barcelona two years ago, Beckham said: "I'm not a jealous person but I love scoring goals, especially important ones. A lot of the time they are down to other players, so it is nice to score goals like that and get the ovation."

And this was an ovation for Beckham rather than the entire England team. Rarely can one player have, in the words of Sheringham, "carried us" so exclusively. "It's really down to one man," said Sheringham, "he truly deserved his goal. He really drove us on and people followed. It's what you'd expect of a captain."

Had he thought before this that Beckham possessed that sort of mettle, Sheringham was asked. "No," replied the former United man. "He's changed, definitely. I think it was a great piece of thinking to give him the captaincy. He's not one of those captains who shouts a lot, he leads by example. He's doing a good job."

Peter Taylor first gave Beckham that responsibility in Turin last November and Beckham mentioned the sacked Leicester manager twice after the game. Taylor will appreciate the consideration.

Despite some initial external and internal wariness about the weight of the armband - "I'll not be a shouter" - the quiet fortitude Beckham has displayed has impressed in all quarters. From the rueful tabloid editors who hounded him after France '98 - Beckham revealed a considerate side then, too, ringing some of the vast minority who had written letters of support - to the FA hierarchy, there has been nothing but praise.

Alan Shearer and Michael Owen joined in from the commentary box on Saturday. Martin Keown called Beckham "a special player".

England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson was another voice burning Beckham's ears afterwards. "When you follow him from the outside you read a lot about him in the newspapers, his wife and so on," Eriksson said, "and you don't really know him as a person. But I must say he is a big, big professional, a big captain. He's shown that once again today by his performance and by his ice-cold scoring of that goal."

In deadball situations, Eriksson said: "Today Beckham is the best in the world."

The big goal itself also featured Beckham's ears, and his judgment not to listen to those bellowing not-so-sweet nothings into them. "I shouted over to David and said: 'You need to score this one'," said Gary Neville, which, when you think Neville is Beckham's closest friend, was hardly the most supportive call.

Sheringham, meanwhile, was on the other side. "He listened to me, for once, on my goal. I told him I was going to the near post and for him to whip it in. On the free-kicks I said I wanted one to break it up a bit. It seemed like he'd had about 45."

On the penultimate free-kick Sheringham said: "Let me have a chance. He said: 'Nah, I like this one.' I said: 'OK, you're the guv'nor.' " Then the next one came along and I was like 'I could have this one'. He said: 'No, I like the angle.' I said: 'Oh, all right, go on then.' It was a good decision."

Smiling, Beckham told the same story, but added: "On Friday I'd hit a lot of balls and they'd all gone in. I knew this was the last chance. It had to go in. Brilliant." Just like his earrings, just like his free-kick, just like his work. England's brilliant captain of industry.