LA Galaxy star David Beckham has denied claims from Graeme Le Saux he called the then Chelsea fullback a "p**f" in a Premier League clash.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Le Saux said: "I mention specific players in the book, like Robbie Fowler and Paul Ince, because they took their behaviour to another level. Yet what happened that day showed me how far it had gone. In the simple context of a match it was a default mechanism.

"I caught him with an elbow, genuinely not maliciously, and because he had a shaved head at the time it split open, lots of blood, very dramatic. He thought I had done it on purpose and his immediate reaction was to say, 'You f***ing p**f' or 'You bloody p**f'. We were England teammates. I didn't expect that. I know David isn't homophobic and last thing I'd want is for him to think this is an accusation. It is just the way it was."

Last night a spokesman for former Manchester United midfielder Beckham said: "This allegation is completely untrue. David would never say such a thing. It's been seven years since this match that Graeme refers to and he has never mentioned this to David personally or publicly.

"Given that they have known each other for many years after the event, it's highly surprising to discover that this matter has now been raised but never before. While we appreciate Graeme has a book to sell, we refute these assertions completely."