Beckham close to finalising return to AC Milan

David Beckham has revealed he is ready to sign a loan agreement with AC Milan to keep his dream of playing at a fourth World Cup finals alive.

The San Siro was always the likely destination for Beckham in January with Major League Soccer in close season hibernation, and while the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder has a number of interested parties he remains committed to a Serie A return.

For the first time since moving to the United States in 2007, Beckham seems set for an extended season with the Galaxy primed for the end-of-season play-offs. On Thursday, they beat Chicago 1-0 to move to the top of the Western Conference with two games remaining in the regular season.

Beckham will have a couple of months to rest before moving back to Italy for a second spell.

England coach Fabio Capello has made it clear he must return to play in Europe to remain in his plans for South Africa.

"There are other options available but none that will stop me going to Milan," the LA Galaxy player told the Mail on Sunday. "It is close to being finalised.

"When I left (Milan), they said they wanted me to come straight back. I had such a marvellous time there. They're a great club."

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Kaka: Ronaldo, Beckham, Carlos Told Me Nice Things About Madrid

While the rest of the world had their eyes on the Santiago Bernabeu for Real Madrid’s Monday night coronation of Cristiano Ronaldo, the club’s other galactic star, Kaka was quietly enjoying a party of his own back in Sao Paulo.

Los Blancos’ new No. 8 returned to Brazil for a short holiday after a successful Confederations Cup campaign to celebrate his son, Luca’s first birthday (even though he was born on June 10) and among 
the guests at the party was Elano, Robinho, Ronaldo and F1 driver, Felipe Massa.

During the celebrations, Kaka admitted that he wants to disconnect himself from football for the time being and focus on family. 

“At the moment, my priority is Luca. A lot of people here say to me that I am not Kaka, but the father of Luca,” he told Brazilian TV program, ‘Esporte Espectacular’.

“What I want is for him to grow up well, be happy and be comfortable in Madrid,” he continued.
The playmaker then went on to touch briefly on why he signed for Los Blancos.

“I contacted other Brazilians who have played for Madrid, especially those who were in the national team such as Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos. I even got in touch with [David] Beckham and they all have only nice things to say about Madrid,” he revealed.

“I chose Madrid because of the glamor of the club, because of the fascination people have with them, because of the stadium, the fans, things that you can’t find at any other club in the world.”

Finally, Kaka was asked if his €67 million transfer fee will put any unwanted burden on him.

“At the end of the day, each transfer will involve millions of euros but it is the players who have the least to win,” he replied.

“This is football, an industry where millions of dollars revolve around this spectacle.
“For me, I do not regret anything. Instead, I thank the Milan fans for all the support they’ve provided me all these years but now, I only think about my future with Real Madrid.”
 
Kaka will remain in Brazil to attend the wedding of Alexandre Pato, before returning to the Spanish capital to begin preseason training on July 27 with the rest of the squad.

David Beckham commitment under fire

The great experiment in question involved adding one part soccer superstar, David Beckham, to a diluted North American market, hoping that a massive positive chemical reaction might take place.
Well, we're still waiting, even if there have been a series of minor explosions along the way. All eyes are back on Beckham as he returns, finally, to the Los Angeles Galaxy roster July 16 for a game against the New York Red Bulls. He's back from an extended stay in Europe, where he fled in search of better competition.

Certainly, Major League Soccer wants him back. He sells tickets and merchandise and gives the league a cachet it might otherwise lack. But he also has left even his teammates wondering if Beckham still believes in the mission.

L.A. striker Landon Donovan is highly critical of Beckham in this long-awaited book by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl. Donovan says Beckham is guilty of a lack of commitment and suggests he deserves to be benched if his attitude has not changed.

Wahl writes of the Galaxy's trip to Toronto in August 2007 as being the first time his teammates experienced the VIP treatment accorded Beckham wherever he goes. At the Ultra Supper Club, "you would have thought you'd stepped into a time warp back to 1977, to the days when the New York Cosmos of Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia partied with Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger and the gang at Studio 54 in Manhattan. For the Galaxy players, that night in the Supper Club – the hottest nightclub in downtown Toronto – was the first time they felt like a SuperClub."
Those were the days.

Cristiano Ronaldo can learn a lot from David Beckham

She unveiled a miniature mansion for her 13 dogs, offered to become Susan Boyle's style guru, and jettisoned a Z-list boyfriend.

By an amazing coincidence she also stumbled over Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's most expensive footballer.

According to an understandably breathless eyewitness, they "swapped spit".
Niiice. Wait till Mummy gets you home, young man.

Say what you like about Paris, she's a pro.

Once she surfaced for air, she revealed her intention to name her children Victoria and David after Posh & Pecs.

"They are so hot and I want kids as beautiful as her," she trilled, unwittingly emphasising the pecking order of the world's second favourite game.

In football terms Ronaldo is arm candy, a distracting dalliance. Beckham is roses-around-the-door royalty.
It's the difference between a shell suit and an Armani suit, which for Goldenballs comes free with a £32million underwear contract.

The Winker has lots to learn from him on and off the pitch.

The Beckhams were welcomed to Tinseltown by Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Demi Moore and their other halves.

Ronaldo was a passing fancy for the paparazzi, an extra in a film that will go straight to DVD. He's another wannabe, orbiting the outer reaches of the celebrity galaxy. He might be the world's best footballer, but his move to Madrid has little to do with football.
President Perez is the Noughties' answer to Sam Goldwyn, a film studio boss in the business of selling dreams.

He wants Ronaldo to drive the e-economy, to become a salesman for a new generation of interactive internet content.

Beckham sold a million Madrid shirts in six months.


Ron must shift 30million in six years. He can do that only by building a brand capable of penetrating the favelas of Sao Paulo, the slums of Mexico City and sweatshops of rural China.

Madrid are chasing fool's gold. Since you can buy a counterfeit replica shirt for less than a fiver, revenue from official merchandise in the emerging world is relatively insignificant.

Even the marketing monolith that is Manchester United makes only £3m a year from assorted souvenir sales in Asia.

A stroll down Oxford Street, where homo-erotic images of his waxed torso dominate Selfridges, confirms that Brand Beckham is the real deal.

Ronaldo simply lacks class, showroom sheen.

Becks gives good copy, smiles on cue, plays to the gallery.

I saw him creating a minor riot in the car park of Almaty's Central Stadium.

Children crawled through our legs, pawed at him as if he were a 17th-century saint.

He was so at ease amid the madness. He never missed a beat, eulogising the potential of Fabio Capello's England. It was meaningless, but PR gold.

Don't bet against him making the World Cup squad and returning to the Premier League once he's done the chore of an 11 game spell with LA Galaxy.

Beckham makes sense of management speak, like "There's no I in team". He Walks the Talk. It's "We" not "Me".

In injury time at Wembley in midweek, he tracked back 50 yards to give away a free-kick and stop an Andorran attack.

He provided unnecessary confirmation of his work ethic.

Ronaldo lacks maturity, empathy and strength of character. He's shallow and self-obsessed.
He needs to learn the world does not revolve around him.

A few more nights in Paris should do the trick.

Perez: Ronaldo is the new Beckham

Cristiano Ronaldo is the new David Beckham, according to Real Madrid’s president-in-waiting Florentino Perez.

Former Real president Perez is expected to be installed as the club’s kingpin once more this summer and will set about righting what he perceives as the wrongs of the three and a bit years since he was last in charge of the club.

Perez’s successor Ramon Calderon tried unsuccessfully to bring Ronaldo to the Spanish capital, but the latter's attempts were too little, too late, according to Perez, who believes the Portuguese should have been signed immediately after the departure of Beckham in order to maintain his team's quota of marketable commodities or 'Galacticos'.

“Madrid should have brought Cristiano Ronaldo as Beckham’s replacement two years ago,” Perez told the Sunday Times.

“There are specific footballers who can turn out to be very profitable, because of the commercial benefits they bring the club.

“For instance, we once brought in €15m for playing two matches in Japan. That would not happen in the current climate but they did it then because we had Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Beckham.
Perez added: "If Cristiano Ronaldo comes in, we would have a Nike-endorsed player putting on an adidas shirt every week,”

“In the previous time, we established a model which allowed us to pay off our debts and raise our income, and we did it by investing in great players.

“They brought money in, the model worked.”


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World Cup Qualifier: David Beckham leads England vs Andorra

World Cup Qualifier - David Beckham leads England vs. Andorra: Team England with David Beckham will face Andorra tonight at Wembley Stadium in London in a World Cup Qualifier, hoping to record their seventh straight win in World Cup qualifying Group Six and edge the team closer to next years World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

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Beckham "Not Very Welcome" Back At Galaxy, Say Some Fans

David Beckham is set to return to the Los Angeles Galaxy when the international transfer window opens in July. The England midfielder paid most of the $10 million transfer fee to stay at Milan through the summer, but thinks the Galaxy fans will forgive him “deep down” for leaving California for the opening of the Major League Soccer season.

“I hope they realize by now the reasons why I made this move,” Beckham told Grahame Jones of the Los Angeles Times. “I'm sure they do deep down. I'm sure they'll be supportive when I come back. But you never know. Things could be good. Things could be bad. I can only play the game and enjoy myself.”

Goal.com hit the stands of the Galaxy's home stadium, the Home Depot Center, during LA's MLS match against the Kansas City Wizards to find out what the fans really thought about the prodigal midfielder..

“He's not very welcome as far as we're concerned,” said Jeff from LA. “He has priorities other than the Galaxy, and to Galaxy fans we don't have the same priorities.

“The question becomes, how much does he help versus how much does he care? If he helps the team, great, but it's a little bigger than that. And he knows that, he knows that.”

Several fans refused to comment, saying they had nothing to add that could refrain from profanity. Most comments were littered with vulgarity anyways.

“Eff him,” said Jeff in the LA Riot Squad, a Galaxy fan group. “He's too much of a pretty boy. He has been since he came here. We shouldn't throw a whole bunch of money and resources to try to keep him here when they could be better used doing pretty much anything.”

Ryan from Huntington and George from Alto Alva let their middle fingers do the talking for them. One fan sporting a Beckham jersey refused to admit that the midfielder's name was printed on his back.

The fans in the stands watched as the Galaxy resorted to late dramatics once again to salvage a draw. An Edson Buddle strike in the 87th minute gave Bruce Arena's men their fifth consecutive draw.

Perhaps Beckham could help provide the spark the team needs to turn draws into three points, but Adrian from Culver City says the 34-year-old is to blame for the current mess in the first place.

“I think the team has been a circus since he got here,” Adrian explained. “He's been great for U.S. soccer, not so great for the Galaxy. I feel that we've taken the hit for the rest of MLS. It'll be nice to have him back if he contributes on the field, and I'm sure he'll give it his all, but I kind of resent the whole staying over at A.C. Milan thing.”

At the end of the MLS season, Beckham could be on the move again. AC Milan has shown interest in purchasing the player outright, and it appears that the midfielder wants to play in Europe to better his chances of making the England squad for the 2010 World Cup.

Adrian, for one, did not think a divorce between the Galaxy and Beckham would be such a bad idea.

“Yeah, actually, I am excited,” he said about a possible Beckham sale in the January 2010 transfer window. “That will work out great for us, I think.”


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David Beckham convinced me to join Real Madrid - Kaka

 

On joining Real Madrid for a world record £59m, Brazilian playmaker Kaka revealed that England's David Beckham, a former team-mate at AC Milan, convinced him to move to the Spanish captial.

He also said that the current global downturn convinced him now was the right time to switch.

"I can officially say I'm a Real Madrid player," the 27-year-old said, who turned down a move to the Premier League and Manchester City in January. "My professional link with AC Milan finishes now, but my sentimental link will never end.

"I spoke to some friends, like Beckham, who has already played for Real. He said it's a fantastic place to play. I spoke to him this past week and he kept helping me, he said I made a positive choice for my career's growth.

"Real Madrid intend to build a great team, with historic players such as Raul and Iker Casillas. We will make history again, both in Spain and Europe. I guess the sport project is very good.

"Manchester City and Real Madrid are two different clubs with different situations. At that time (January), it was mid-season, I had a strong emotional impact due to the Italian fans requesting me to stay, and I decided to stay.

"Now another chance came up and AC Milan is in a big crisis (financially). For me, the sporting project (at Madrid) is interesting and will be an important boost to continue my career in the highest level.
"I wanted to stay on at Milan, but the world (financial) crisis affected a lot of clubs, especially those like Milan which are businesses.

"So then, I spoke with the Milan directors and we reached the conclusion that the best thing for everybody would be to sell."

Kaka also revealed that new Real president Florentino Perez has been busy "making contact" with potential targets as he looks to revive his 'Galacticos' project.

In Perez's previous stint with the club, he oversaw the acquisitions of global stars of Luis Figo, Ronaldo and David Beckham, as well as Zidane.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, David Villa and Franck Ribery have also been linked to the Spanish capital club since Perez's unopposed election signalled the return of their vast spending.

Kaka continued: "The president (Perez) is already making contact (with potential signings) and is putting together a competitive team, one which will try to once again become champions in Spain and Europe. That's why I chose Madrid.

"They have historic players there already, such as Raul or Casillas. Real Madrid will be an important challenge for me. We're going to win many titles again."

He also revealed that although the deal was only announced last night, it had been in the pipeline for some time, adding: "I wanted this move to be announced sooner. For me it's a relief that it has been announced now, although I have always be 100% focussed on the national side.


"I've been weighing up the offer from Real Madrid a lot. It's an important project for me to continue growing in my career. I'm not going to Real Madrid for money, as I had other offers. But I knew I would only leave Milan to play for Real Madrid.

"Only small details were missing, such as the medical exams I passed this morning. The deal was sealed long time ago".

He also said he hoped to put an end to Barcelona's dominance of Spanish and European football, after the Merengues' arch-rivals swept all before them this season en route to claiming Spain's first league, cup and Champions League treble.

"This will be a tough season at Real Madrid, after all that Messi conquered with Barcelona," he said.

"They're the big favourites and deservedly so. I hope Barcelona's hegemony will end in the coming years. Real Madrid will build a great team to win titles again, as it's the club's history."

Meanwhile he revealed he fell uncomfortable taking on the number five jersey once worn by Zinedine Zidane.
Perez had admitted he would like to see the Brazilian playmaker take on the shirt, but Kaka said he would not feel comfortable doing so.

He said: "Wearing the number five would be a great responsibility. Zidane was a great player, both for Real Madrid and for France, and I wouldn't like to wear the same number as he did.

"We're going to wait a bit before deciding which one to use."

And finally he had words of gratitude to Milan for launching his career in Europe, while he was also elusive about whether he would end his career in Madrid.

"I will be 33 years old by the time the (Madrid) contract ends, with the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 still to come. Lots of things will happen," he said.

"I'm not thinking today in ending my career at 33. I expect to write history there and sign a new contract, who knows, until 35. May be I'll retire then."

He added: "I want to thank Milan, as they were the club who put me on the international scene. They gave me the opportunity to become a big name in Europe.

"I'm happy to leave Milan by the front door, with a lot of friends. It has been very emotional to see what the Milan fans have done for me."



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Book on Beckham Academy kick-off

Children's book based around David Beckham Academy is published 

The four-volume fictional series, comprising Twin Trouble, Le Football, Save The Day and Bossy Boots, is aimed at boys and girls aged seven and up with an interest - surprise, surprise - in football.

Each tome follows the escapades of a different group of youngsters at the former England captain's football academy in Greenwich, south

Two activity books will include ideas for training, including pull-out tactics boards, puzzles and a stats section.

The 34-year-old AC Milan midfielder said: "I'm very pleased that the academy has inspired this series of books, and am hopeful that it will bring more children to reading. 

"The academy is dedicated to the development of all those that attend and these books are a fantastic addition to its scope." 

Beckham opened the academy in 2005 to offer youngsters high-quality coaching and teach them life skills through football. 

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David Beckham Hopes For Quick AC Milan Return

AC Milan midfielder David Beckham helped his side reach direct qualification to the Champions League as they defeated Fiorentina 2-0 at the Artemio Franchi stadium this afternoon.

This is Beckham’s final match for the Rossoneri before his return to the Los Angeles Galaxy, even though he hopes he will be back in Milan soon.

“Even though today we did not win anything, we have reached the direct qualification to the Champions League,” commented the former Manchester United player to Milan Channel. “Winning today was fundamental, just like being in the Champions League.

“With regards to my future I cannot say anything more than what I said two weeks or two months ago: now I return to Los Angeles for the final part of the season, then we’ll see what happens, but I hope to return soon.

“My thanks goes to everyone, they have all been fantastic with me in making me feel like a part of the team from the first minute and I wish them all the best.

“With Carlo Ancelotti away from Milan, an era comes to an end, extraordinary years come to an end, but wherever he will go to coach, it will be a lucky club to have him.”

The 34-year-old player joined Milan last January and played a total of 18 league games.


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David Beckham reaffirms commitment to MLS

Roll out the red carpet, Major League Soccer. David Beckham is done with AC Milan (for now), training with the English national team for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra, then a four-week vacation, and then he will mosey on back to Los Angeles to grace the Galaxy with his GQ looks and bending free kicks.

He plans to resume training with the team July 11 and play his first game of the season July 16 at the New York Red Bulls. He will stick around for a while, but likely will head back to Europe for an England friendly Aug. 12 against red-hot Netherlands (more on them later) in Amsterdam, and will be gone again for World Cup qualifiers at home against Croatia on Sept. 9, at Ukraine on Oct. 10 and at home Oct. 14 against Belarus.

He has stressed that at this point in his career, his top priority is the national team. He also hopes to return to AC Milan next winter. He played 17 matches for the Italian club on his extended loan, getting two goals and five assists. But Beckham insists he remains committed to the Galaxy and MLS.

''People have questioned me and questioned my commitment to MLS, to the Galaxy, to soccer in America,'' Beckham told MLSnet.com last week. ``I've always said that I'm committed to one, being an ambassador for MLS and soccer in America because I still believe in 10, 15 years this level will lift to a level where it can compete with some of the big teams in Europe. And, obviously, I'm committed to the Galaxy.

``I said that to the players before I left and I said that to the manager [ Bruce Arena] before I left. This is not me running away from soccer in America. I'm fully committed to going back to MLS putting in performances like I know I can, being fully fit and working hard for the team. I still believe we've got very good players on our team and I still believe we should be reaching the playoffs. Hopefully, that will happen this year.''

The Galaxy is in fifth place in the Western Conference, 12 points behind first-place Chivas USA. Despite reports to the contrary, Beckham said he always intended to return to Los Angeles.

''I always said that I would be going back to finish the season with the Galaxy,'' Beckham told The Times of London. ``I never expected to stay for six months. When I first made the decision, it was always for three months. But then, obviously, being given the chance to play until the end of the season was good.''

But his main focus now is on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

''I think what drives me hard is just playing for England,'' he said. `Obviously, I'd love to win something with my country, but just being involved in every game that I play in, whether it be a friendly or a qualifier, I love playing for my country.''

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Beckham picked by England

LONDON (AP) — David Beckham was among 24 players picked Sunday for England's roster for World Cup qualifiers next month and Gary Neville received a surprise recall for the games against Kazakhstan and Andorra.

Beckham, on loan to AC Milan from Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, has 17 goals in 110 international appearances. The 34-year-old midfielder hopes to play at next year's World Cup, where he could break goalkeeper Peter Shilton's record of 125 games for England.

Neville, a 34-year-old veteran of 86 appearances starting in 1995, has not played for England since a 1-0 loss to Spain in February 2007. Another surprise callup was West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Scott Carson.

Jermain Defoe and Theo Walcott return from injuries and may get a start alongside Wayne Rooney in attack.

England is 5-0 in qualifying and leads Group Six. Kazakhstan is 1-4 and Andorra is 0-5.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion), Robert Green (West Ham), Paul Robinson (Blackburn).

Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Gary Neville (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham).

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (AC Milan, Italy), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa).

Strikers: Carlton Cole (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

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David Beckham difines Basketball

Awesome.

David Beckham turns Schwarzenegger in The Terminator-style Motorola ad

David Beckham is to feature in a new global ad campaign for Motorola inspired by 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger movie The Terminator.

The campaign, to launch the new Aura phone, breaks internationally from the end of April.

Print ads for the new Motorola handset feature a shirtless Beckham holding the phone, which appears to show an x-ray of the inner workings of half of the footballer's body.

Beckham said: "I love classic watches so a phone that exposes its mechanics while also being so stylish is really unique."

Motorola's new ad, shot in Milan where Beckham has been playing for AC Milan on loan from LA Galaxy, is backlit by a red light that gives the image a similar look to the famous shots of the Sarah Connor-hunting Terminator played by Schwarzenegger in James Cameron's 1984 film.

The campaign was shot by director Anthony Mandler, who has directed a string of music videos for singer Rihanna and previously worked with the footballer as director of Snoop it Like Beckham, the third episode of TV show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood.

Motorola said that the campaign, created by ad agency Ogilvy London, was inspired by renaissance art, "fusing bold classical sculpture with precise anatomical sketches", and modern themes such as mechanisation and robotics. The Aura phone itself was inspired by luxury Swiss watch design.

The mobile phone manufacturer signed up Beckham to be a global brand ambassador in 2006 in a three-year deal struck by Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment.

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David Beckham still tops the league as football's biggest earner

David Beckham remains Britain's richest footballer with three times the fortune of any other player.

This year's Rich List puts Becks' assets at £125million but second-placed Michael Owen, the Newcastle striker, has just £40million.

Young megabucks stars are Man Utd's Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo with £35million and £18million respectively.

Old Trafford team-mates Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs each have £30million assets.

Portsmouth's Sol Campbell has £33million while Robbie Fowler - now playing in Australia - has £31million.

At Chelsea, Frank Lampard has £20million, at least until he settles with ex-partner Elen Rives. England captain John Terry has £17million, Ashley Cole's £13million beats namesake Joe Cole's £12million, and other Chelsea stars Nicholas Anelka, Petr Cech and Michael Essien have £11million each At Liverpool, Steven Gerrard is worth £20million and Fernando Torres £9million.

Arsenal have Cesc Fabregas in the list with £7million. At rivals Spurs, Jonathan Woodgate has £8million.

England manager Fabio Capello is worth £30million but Newcastle's emergency boss, Alan Shearer, tops him at £32million.

As for club owners, steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal has put part of his £10.8billion behind QPR and Chelsea's Roman Abramovich is still worth £7billion.

For Rooney, family matters most. He and pregnant wife Coleen were at Liverpool yesterday to see brother Graham play in the amateur All-England Sunday Cup Final.

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Football's Global Face

David Beckham: The Man, the Myth, the Marketeer
by Matthew Maloney

Let's face it, David Beckham is the most well-known footballer on the planet, and if anyone can claim to be 'The' ambassador for lo Joga Bonito—believe it or not, he's the one.

Having appeared on the famous covers of numerous and especially, diverse magazines like Men's Health, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, and yes, even the odd football magazine, he is undoubtedly the face many will associate with football worldwide, from Japan to America to England and back. If ever there was one man who could surely make that envious claim, sadly, it is he.

How could it of come to this?! How did David Beckham become football's global face? Well first let's examine the man.

Having played for the three biggest clubs in the three biggest football leagues in world football (Man Utd, Real Madrid, and now AC Milan) and having, on paper, a career many would die for (6 PLs, 1 CL, 2 FA Cups, La Liga, English Football Hall of Fame), Beckham has also received a ludicrous amount of public and civilian awards and honours (among them an OBE, Time 100 - 2008, 'Britain's Greatest Ambassador', UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador).

International football community recognition however has been lukewarm, especially in comparison to his status in the game as its most famous son. An appearance in Pele's FIFA 100 (something a contemptuous retard like El Hadji Diouf made it into, now of Blackburn, formerly of Sunderland and Bolton) and an American ESPY award or two aside, his notable achievements in this area have been two runners-up spots in the FIFA world player (1999, 2001) and a UEFA European competition club footballer of the year award in 1999 (Was he really that singularly indispensable to United's European Cup victory that season? Roy Keane might disagree, but thats another debate.)

I know football is a team game and someone could well counter that it is only team achievements that matter (and on that regard Beckham does well) but if an individual footballer is worth $250m over five years, you would think he would have the badges and individual accolades to prove it.

Besides, the idea that individuals don't matter is passe and the theory one man cannot create a team is more than arguable (for example see: Maradonna winning Argentina the 1986 WC, or a list of Steven Gerrard led miracle Liverpool victories). God knows many other lesser lights have won many team awards as 'passengers' for all intents and purposes (we're looking at you Phil Neville, Winston Bogarde, Dida, Geremi etc)—whether Beckham has been what I like to call a passenger or an instigator through his career is yet another debate.

Perhaps the most explicit point to be made here about the man is that at no point in Beckham's admittedly glittering career would I or, I suspect, most people, have classified David as the best player in the world, nevermind of his generation.

This is where the myth of Beckham comes into play in understanding his overwhelming fame.

David and Victoria Beckham have been Britain's golden tabloid couple for at least a decade now. As former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson once commented, he kept David Beckham as captain from Peter Taylor's caretaker reign because 'he was the most famous and well known' (Well gee, I guess England internationals shouldn't have to put up with a captain nobody really knows about).

The myth, which I will later call the brand, centres around phrases and watchwords like 'metrosexuality', 'the modern man', 'the golden boy of his generation' (or goldenballs, if you prefer), 'international superstar' and of course 'Posh & Becks'.

Towards the end of Beckham's Manchester United career, even Sir Alex Ferguson had begun to think the David Beckham on his books was a doppelganger pop star as opposed to the typical elite footballer he had become adept at dealing with.

David Beckham has been mentioned in the same breath as the words 'pioneer' and 'saviour' when it comes to 'soccer' in America. However, even the most optimistic prognosis has deemed Beckham's long term impact on promoting the American game over his two-year sojourn as minimal. In fact if anything I would (and will) argue that Beckham has done more to promote himself during his stay there.

Likewise visions of screaming teenage Asian girls at airports and sultry black and white photos of him in my sister's bedroom (and lets admit it, most of our sister's bedrooms) highlight his sex appeal. (If only Beckham was really a drug dealer, my sister would profess an undying love for the man.) No doubt Beckham's looks have added to the caricature of the 'perfect man' and allowed many female fans more opportunity to buy into the myth.

It is at international level however where the myth of David Beckham really comes into play. David Beckham is set to break the great Bobby Moore's outfield England record—but unlike Moore, Beckham as captain or squad member has never come close to emulating his achievements on the pitch, and most certainly not a World Cup.

Free kick against Greece aside, many of Beckham's most memorable events in a Three Lions shirt have been infamous or disappointing.

As of now, I think, David Beckham is Hotter than me already. sigh

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