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The jury is out on whether football glamour boy David Beckham will meet the same kind of hero-worship seen in other parts of Asia when he and Real Madrid land in China Friday.

The England captain, the newest member of the star-studded Spanish club, will lace up for the first time with the champion side under the intense spotlight of hundreds of media as part of a pre-season tour.

Chinese and international critics will also be watching carefully to see how Beckham integrates with Real's world class talent, including Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Raul.

While football in China is still in its infancy, it is considered the country's most popular sport.

European leagues are followed avidly, and Real Madrid and Beckham are as much household names as Chinese basketball giant Yao Ming.

But while the former Manchester United midfielder, with his movie star good looks and family man demeanour, usually sparks scenes of public frenzy, Chinese football fans are expected to remain more cool-headed when the 28-year-old touches down.

"I just like him but not to that crazy degree that many Japanese girls do," said football fan Sharon Xu.

Mania last gripped the region in June when Beckham and wife Victoria - Posh Spice - swept through Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia on a whirlwind promotional tour.

In those countries, Asia's favourite footballer was greeted with the howling cult-like adulation usually reserved for rock stars.

A healthy dose of pragmatism is more likely to prevail in China.

The novelty of hosting a team like Real Madrid is about the opportunity of getting to see a team of that calibre, said Dong Hua, a spokesman for the Chinese FA.

"It will give Chinese football a chance to learn from a first class team," Dong said.

Real Madrid and Beckham will take to the pitch against a Chinese XI on Aug 2 in Beijing. The nine-day tour of the mainland will also see the team train at a high altitude pitch in southwestern Yunnan province from July 25 to 31.

The Beijing match up, one in a series of pre-season exhibition games in Asia, is part of Real Madrid's stepped up marketing bid to tap into what is potentially the largest single merchandising market in the world.

Although Real has yet to capture Asia's imagination like Manchester United, China's 1.3 billion people are seen as a key emerging market.

"Compared with Japan and Korea, China is still developing," said Brian Lau, senior event manager at sports management and marketing giants IMG.

"You will see more. This is just a start," he predicted.

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