Jonny Wilkinson's World Cup final heroics could mean as much as £5m a year to England's newest sporting hero.

That is the view of PR guru Max Clifford, who believes the hottest property in world rugby has everything it takes to become the David Beckham of his sport.

The Newcastle Falcons and England fly-half may not enjoy the film-star lifestyle of his footballing counterpart, but his ability, dedication, modesty and intelligence make him a marketing man's dream.

''It could be advertising, promotion, sportswear, clothing, menswear, after-shave, hair products, if he wanted to do them," said Clifford.

''How long is it since we could honestly say 'he's the best in the world and he's British'?"

''He has a personality and he comes across as a very modest, dedicated, unassuming lad. He has all the qualities that we love in our national sporting heroes.

''The fact that he's unassuming adds to the appeal because one of the major problems I have had going back 40 years with American stars is to get them to act with humility. We don't admire the flash, the brash, we like humility.

Wilkinson's profile has grown during the World Cup and the Australian media's attempts to dismiss the side which tore their dream to shreds on Saturday simply served to add further fuel to the fire.

There was a delicious irony about the fact that it was the man at the centre of the 'Is-that-all-you've-got?' jibes who clinched victory at the death to add the label of World Cup winner to his enviable CV.

He is a sporting phenomenon, both admired and feared by his peers and worshipped by a growing army of fans, and that, Clifford is certain, will lead to a tide of offers.

''Rugby is a very masculine, manly sport and there's nothing remotely feminine about Jonny Wilkinson.

''He made a crunching tackle in the semi-final, got up off the floor and kicked the penalty, and that is a great image to promote.

''David Beckham has been in the media spotlight for a long time now and the lad has done incredibly well and handled himself incredibly well.

''But what makes Jonny unique is that he's a winner, and that's where the potential lies.''

Wilkinson's marketability has already been harnessed by the likes of adidas, for whom he teamed up with Beckham to shoot a series of television adverts, and Lucozade, and he is employed by Lloyds TSB as one of their rugby ambassadors.

A spokesman for adidas said: ''Once people made the connection between Beckham being the best right-footed dead-ball person and Jonny being the best left-footed dead-ball person, almost undoubtedly the best set-piece people in either sport, it was quite straightforward on the back of that to get some publicity mileage.''

GlaxoSmithKline, manufacturers of Lucozade, are also delighted with the return they have had.

''We've been extremely pleased with the partnership, not just with Jonny Wilkinson, but with Matt Dawson as well, another key asset to the England team,'' said a spokesperson.

Top sports agent Jonathan Barnett, however, is not convinced that lifting the World Cup will increase the profile of English rugby enough to make multi-millionaires of its stars, although he concedes that Wilkinson and captain Martin Johnson are the main men.

''It won't be huge,'' he said. ''People will say it will be, but it won't. I think it's a minority sport still and it was being played in Australia, so not so many people are looking at it, comparatively.

''Jonny Wilkinson will do quite well, and so will Martin Johnson as captain. But it won't be millions."