There are times when David Beckham could be forgiven for flouncing into a Greta Garbo sulk. Yet here in Seattle’s Qwest Field Stadium, when doubtless all he wanted was to be alone, the world piled into the LA Galaxy locker room to confront a half-naked and fully fed-up figure who was coughing, spluttering and limping like some tattooed Albert Steptoe.

AC Milan’s medical director said at the weekend that he felt Beckham could play on until he was 40. Yet after he hobbled his way through the wretched disappointment of the MLS Cup final defeat to Real Salt Lake, requiring three painkilling injections and inhaler puffs en route to yet another penalty shoot-out loss, he ended up looking more like a 34 year-old who would struggle to be out there at 35. [+]