updated 2:52 p.m. ET July 14, 2007

LONDON - American soccer fans and his Los Angeles Galaxy teammates have now seen David Beckham the fashion icon.

What are they getting in Beckham the soccer star?

While his ability to bend free kicks is well known, the former England captain has other attributes — and a number of weaknesses.

Let’s look at the good points first.

Beckham’s right foot is one of the most valuable collections of bones in sports. The Galaxy are paying him $32.5 million over the next five years.

The last of his 17 goals in 96 appearances for England was at the 2006 World Cup where he bent a free kick around a wall of Ecuador defenders to squeeze between the goalkeeper and the post for the only goal of the game.

Playing for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996, he spotted the goalkeeper off his line and launched a shot from just inside his own half, the ball floating over Neil Sullivan’s head for an astonishing goal.

As well as scoring goals with shots that swerve past bewildered goalkeepers, he has the ability to deliver inch-perfect 70-yard passes to teammates running at full speed on the other side of the field.

Beckham seems to use his right leg like it is a set of golf irons, adjusting the length of his pass accordingly to get the distance just right.

On his return to the England lineup at Wembley on June 1, he swung a free kick that curled over Brazil’s defenders and hung in the air for John Terry to leap high and head his team ahead in a 1-1 draw.

Weigh in on hot sports topics Beckham will make soccer a major U.S. sport

His return to form for Real Madrid in the last two months of the Spanish season helped the club capture its first domestic title in four years. Coach Fabio Capello, who dropped Beckham after he had announced his move to the Galaxy, admitted at the end of the season he made a mistake.

Despite numerous injuries to his feet, wrists and ankles, Beckham is astonishingly fit.

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Although not quick over short bursts, he has the stamina to run up and down the field for the full 90 minutes without showing signs of fatigue. That means he’s always available to receive a pass and make them in return, or get into a position to try a long-range shot.

Despite his showbiz lifestyle off the field, he always gives 100 percent to his team when he’s on it and says he has maintained his enthusiasm for the game through a pro career which now stands at 16 years.

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