By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES – Star gazers were agog on Thursday over the impending arrival in Los Angeles of soccer idol David Beckham and his wife Victoria and their debut on the world’s biggest celebrity stage.

Although far from a household name in the United States, the couple dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the British media nevertheless look set to become one of Hollywood’s hottest properties when Beckham starts a five-year contract in August with soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy.

"This is a big, big, big deal. The office here is atwitter this morning. We have had so many people volunteering just to be on Posh and Becks’ watch," said Ryan Patterson, supervising producer with syndicated celebrity TV show "Access Hollywood."

Beckham’s good looks and the trend-setting style of his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria "Posh Spice" Adams, are expected to fill more pages than his soccer skills in a town where parties are more talked about than penalties.

"I can’t name a better-looking man on the planet. The ‘guy candy’ quotient in America just got upped a whole bunch," Ms. Patterson said.

The Beckhams will bring a breath of fresh air to a scene wearying of over-exposed stars such as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

Celebrity watchers said they could fill the gap left by couples like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, both of whom have shunned publicity in recent months to raise their young children.

"We are really excited about it. David and Victoria together could potentially become the hottest couple in Hollywood. There is a big void there," said Ken Baker, west coast editor of Us Weekly magazine.