Athletes sing the praises of specialist from Finland

There is a long list of athletes who have sought Orava's services, such as AC Milan players Dario Simic and Giuseppe Pancaro, long jumper Andrew Howe, Olympic champion gymnast Jury Chechi and skier Peter Fill.

Like Beckham, Simic tore his Achilles' tendon while playing for Milan in 2004. Simic recalled that he had surgery with Orava in November 2004 and returned three months later.

"It was partially torn and the surgery went very well," said Simic, who now plays for French club Monaco. "I've never had any problems with my Achilles since then."

Fill had a different injury. He tore four tendons in his upper thigh and groin and two tendons in his abdomen during a fall in summer training last year.

"They were all completely torn from the bone," said Fill.

"I thought there was no way I would be back for the Olympics. I was already concentrating on next season.

"It was a very strange injury and it was suggested that I see Orava. I was told he's the best in the world at tendon repairs."

Fill had surgery on 3 September and was back skiing four months later, finishing eighth in the strenuous downhill in Wengen, Switzerland, in his first race back in January.

He then placed 15th in the downhill at the recent Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The chief physician for the Italian Winter Sports Federation, Rodolfo Tavana, formerly worked with Milan for 16 years and suggested Orava to Fill.

"I was a bit afraid when I got there because the waiting room is very small, but once they took me upstairs, everything was extremely professional and Orava did a great job," Fill said.

Orava placed a titanium plate and multiple screws inside Fill's body to hold his tendons together.

"He's not one of those doctors that shows up at the start of the surgery and lets others take care of the rest," Fill said.

"They only gave me a local anesthetic, so I was awake the whole time and he was there from start to finish, explaining things to me as it went along and telling me it was going well. He followed my progress in rehab from start to finish. We mailed him the tests."

After operating on Beckham yesterday Dr Orava said his patient will have to take it "very easy during the next two to three weeks or a month" and that the foot won't be able to "take much strain" for up to three months.