England captain David Beckham not only strikes the ball better than any player since Diego Maradona but also brings new character to Real Madrid, according to the club's sporting director Jorge Valdano.

"Since Maradona I haven't seen anyone strike the ball like Beckham," the former Argentine international told Spanish sports daily As on Friday.

"But he has got other virtues too: a competitive spirit, an enjoyment of playing and the ability to keep running throughout the game -- attributes that are a very positive addition to the team."

After mediocre performances in his first two matches in Spain, the England captain roared back with a goal on his debut at the Bernabeu in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup and another in his first league match a few days later.

The former Manchester United midfielder has yet to score from a free-kick in Spain, but has begun to find his range from set pieces and twice went close to grabbing the winner with fine shots from the edge of the area in his side's 1-1 draw against Villarreal on Tuesday.

He suffered a minor groin strain in the Villarreal match but still hopes to play in England's Euro 2004 Group Seven qualifier away to Macedonia on Saturday.