By David Schaffer BBC News Online, Manchester

Beckham said very little to the press but left fans starstruck

Of course, having made his Spanish move in the summer, it was also not clear whether the man fans had come to see in Manchester still promotes the brand anyway.

And for those fans who had queued for several hours before his arrival it did not matter - they just wanted to get close to their idol with their copies of My Side.

Initially though the atmosphere was a little sombre and was only lifted slightly as a small ripple of cheers floated across the WHSmith store at the Trafford Centre to announce Beckham's arrival.

It was boosted with a few flash bulbs going off as some of the 500 fans - selected in a competition - captured images of their idol as he swept past.

Dressed in expensive denim jeans and accompanying leather jacket, while he said virtually nothing it was immediately clear Beckham has well rehearsed events like this, as he picked up a copy of the book and posed for pictures.

Fortune boosting

He seemed oblivious however, to whether the "fever pitch" conditions he has been used to were absent at the event on Monday, and got on with the business in hand.

Stage management continued with the first few fans being the perfect picture-opportunity types - a small group of awestruck under 10-year-olds, wearing their Beckham shirts, and clutching their books.

Mark Lawrence said the Beckham hype has got too much

Fans would not even have considered their appearance as being simply a way of further boosting Beckham's fortunes.

Young and old alike had stood patiently in the queue, and many - the females anyway - walked away swooning.

While one, Margaret Paton, 53, from St Helens, Merseyside, would certainly not say she had been overcome by the situation, she did look very happy.

"Most people weren't really saying that much to him, so I asked him where he was having his Christmas lunch," she said with a smile.

'United still successful'

"He said he didn't actually know yet, so I said well there is always a place at our dinner table."

Rebecca Jubb, from Bolton, however, was not quite as happy about the experience.

"It was great to see him, but it all felt a bit rushed, I tried to get my shirt signed, but I was told he was only signing books - I was a bit disappointed," she said.

Keiran and Wendy McCabe queued for two hours

While finding people who were critical about all the hype surrounding Beckham was always going to be difficult, there were some who questioned whether it should all be part of a professional footballer's life.

Mark Lawrence, from Salford, who was there with his wife Michelle and daughter Hannah, admitted he had entered the competition as a bit of a joke.

"It was interesting to meet him, but let's face it since he went to Spain, Man United have proved they don't need him to continue being successful, so all this is probably a bit over the top," he said.

The fans kept on queuing however and happily left speculation about the future of the Beckhams' marriage and shock at defeat to Denmark to the press.