Two of the best known men in Britain vie for the headlines on Wednesday morning - for arguably similar reasons.

Messrs Beckham and Blair are both in a spot of bother when it comes to membership of a European club and their plights dominate the front pages.

Most papers seem to agree that the possible transfer deal struck by Manchester United for their star player has made the beautiful game look ugly.

It is, says the Mirror, no way to treat an England hero.

Words echoed by the Daily Star, which says "what a disgraceful way to treat a loyal servant".

It claims that no other club in the world would treat the captain of their country in such a way.

'Sad soccer day'

The Daily Mail goes further.

Sir Alex Ferguson has discarded Beckham as casually and as absolutely as a Roman emperor showing no mercy to a pleading, defeated gladiator, the paper argues.

But the Sun appears to be taking it all rather philosophically.

Yes, it's a sad soccer day and not just for Manchester United fans.

The paper says it will miss Becks as he heads abroad to make a fresh start - but at least we'll see him in an England shirt.

The Daily Telegraph proposes five convergence tests for David Beckham as he ponders his future in Europe.

It also notes that the statement issued by Old Trafford was worded with as much care and deliberate ambiguity as anything to emerge from the Treasury about the suitability of Britain enrolling in the euro.

'Wretchedly dishonest'

Tuesday's pledge from Tony Blair and his Chancellor to tour the country, to drum up support fro the euro, leaves the Mail cold.

"What a wretchedly dishonest exercise this is", says the paper.

"For six years, New Labour has stifled debate, claiming everything must await Gordon Brown's five tests. When the Chancellor announces those tests haven't been met, Mr Blair refuses to accept it."

The Times says the prime minister appears to have been convinced that the only way he can persuade the British people to abandon the pound is by presenting the debate as a stark choice between being in Europe, or outside.

The paper says it is like trying to convince voters that apples are oranges.

Lone plastic penguin

As is often the case, the Independent ploughs its own front-page furrow this morning, shunning football and the euro to lead on art.

It tells how 500 missing Turner masterpieces have been uncovered after being tracked down by a Tate gallery internet appeal to private collectors and galleries around the world.

Many of the pieces had been stored, and forgotten, or were wrongly labelled.

The Times reports that the Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a series of complaints about Santa's Kingdom - a travelling Christmas show attended by 200,000 people last year.

The paper reports that children were disappointed to find that the "real snow" promised in the advertising blurb, was painted foam.