David Beckham turns 47: 10 quotes that explain what football genius the Manchester United great was! Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Alex Ferguson, Zinedine Zidane and others...

Rio Ferdinand: “David Beckham is up there with the best passers I’ve ever played with; over a long distance he was ‘radar foot’. Some left footers look beautiful when they pass the ball. His right foot was like that – it even sounded nice when he hit the ball.”

Cristiano Ronaldo: “I would be very proud if, one day, I’m held in the same esteem as George Best or David Beckham.”

Peter Schmeichel: “You only have to go on MUTV and watch programmes like ‘Ruud van Nistelrooy: all the goals’, ‘Andy Cole: all the goals’ and so on, and see how many goals they scored came from his crosses. A cross was him is as good as a goal.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: “The person who has negative things to say is either jealous or hates him. Because there are no negative things to say about him.”

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer: “David Beckham would have to be the fittest player I’ve played with.”

Arsene Wenger: “What remains in your memory is his genuine commitment and dedication, his natural humility which he always had, that will stay forever.”

Zinedine Zidane: “I don’t know how he manages to be so at ease outwardly on the pitch. He is almost a pop star. I couldn’t do that. It is incredible, especially given that he is as timid as me.”

Ronaldinho: “I always like the way he plays. I always admired him and it’s very cool to play with important people. It’s always very motivating.”

Roberto Carlos: “Beckham takes free-kicks better than me. It is a joy to watch him take free kicks and he has proved that free kicks are not all about power.”

Sir Alex Ferguson: “David Beckham is Britain’s finest striker of a football not because of God-given talent but because he practises with a relentless application that the vast majority of less gifted players wouldn’t contemplate.”