London, Nov.23 A medical mastermind, who extended the careers of two football legends, has said that England star David Beckham's muscle mass places him at an advantage for prolonging his career right up to the 2014 World Cup.

Jean Pierre Meerseman's mysterious techniques at the Milan Lab allowed Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta to play on to the age of 41, reports Sky News.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News, the Belgian chiropractor - asked if Beckham could play on at international level until 2014 said: "If he doesn't have severe injuries, nothing very traumatic, there is absolutely no reason why he couldn't."

e later added: "I really believe so. The way he is not a very big muscle mass, rather tiny, it's all to his advantage in prolonging that kind of career."

Meersemann collates millions of statistics on players. Top clubs the world over also do it, but it is how he uses the information that makes him and Daniele Tognaccini, the Milan Lab's chief athletic officer, different.

The techniques are highly marketable in the world of football, where keeping top players going into their early forties could save clubs millions of pounds.

Meerseman said Beckham could play next year's World Cup on one leg. (ANI)