By Sophie Brown

Posh and Becks are moseying on down to Madrid, which means the North-West has lost its most famous celebrity couple.

But before you can say "star-studded premiere", a substitute pair are waiting in the wings.

Harry Kewell's imminent transfer from Leeds to Liverpool could well see him becoming the new Becks, with wife Sheree Murphy stepping into Victoria's Jimmy Choos.

Or will she opt for department store own brand?

For while the Beckhams enjoy living the high life, swanning around the US, the Kewells always seem to come off second-best in the glamour stakes.

It is a state of affairs that has culminated in David and Victoria heading for the heady Latin climes of Madrid, while Harry and Sheree seem destined for the more sedate pace of life on the Wirral.

Yet, on the face of it, the two couples have much in common, with both combining the worlds of Premiership football with entertainment.

Beckham is a talented play-maker (like Kewell) who has excelled for his country (like Kewell) and who has spent his Premiership career with the same team (like Kewell).

But while Becks' shelves groan under the weight of all the medals he has won in his time at Manchester United, Kewell's career at Leeds has yielded precisely nothing.

Kewell will leave Leeds empty-handed in terms of silverware

Both men are married to celebrities - Posh is known all over the world as a former Spice Girl, while Sheree appears in Emmerdale - a Yorkshire soap which has recently been "sexed up" but whose previous storylines centred around sheep dip.

Both have two children and married after the birth of their first son.

But while the Beckhams invited a few hundred guests and several million magazine readers to their lavish wedding at an Irish castle, the Kewells exchanged vows in front of 30 friends and family in Las Vegas.

And now, while Victoria Beckham will be swanning round Prada and Gucci in Madrid's swankiest shopping district, Sheree will have to make do with the somewhat more limited retail opportunities offered by the humble British high street.

It has been suggested that Posh is looking to relaunch her flagging career in Spain and has her sights set on storming the world of TV.

And when Kewell was linked with Chelsea, some predicted that his wife might also get a soap transfer to EastEnders (a definite promotion).

Perhaps that might offer a clue as to why Kewell's transfer to Liverpool has hit a last-minute hitch.

Most observers assumed it was a problem related to his contract at Anfield but could it be that someone suddenly realised Brookside has been axed?