Walcott dredges up secrets from Beckham's past in a bid to strengthen his bid for England's right wing spot

DAVID BECKHAM'S right wing rival Theo Walcott has alleged that the LA Galaxy star actually meant to hit a cross-field pass to Jordi Cruyff when he scored his 1996 wondergoal from the half-way line.

The new dirt on Beckham's dubious past has put Walcott further ahead in a MORI poll of polls (sponsored by retired ref Graham Poll) after another weekend of intense campaigning. But Beckham has responded by branding Walcott "a desperate footballer, hell-bent on attacking me personally.

"This is typical of Theo's mean-spirited campaign which has been full of dirty tricks. He fooled me with a stepover and then beat me for pace in training. It's just not on".

Walcott was an outsider for the right wing role before his youth and easy charm won him a legion of fans. He has stretched into what looks like an unassailable lead over the aging Beckham, despite the latter's admirable service for his country in a number of difficult foreign campaigns.

However, there is some doubt over Walcott's capacity for the top job, and Beckham's female running mate, the gaffe-prone and previously unheard of Melanie Chisholm, doubts he has what it takes.

"Walcott can wow a crowd but he has no experience of defence," she said. "We forget that in his early days back in Southampton he spent his time palling around with the likes of Matt Oakley, a radical and dangerous left winger".

The public has largely failed to respond to Beckham's campaign for the right wing place, which has emphasised his personal story, the maverick who has been known to disobey team orders.

The experienced player is most popular with rural Englanders who like poaching and distrust Walcott's cosmopolitan upbringing and black skin, but an acclaimed recent advert detailing his horrifying experiences in a Madrid prisoner of war camp may have come too late for the veteran.