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Beckham off to America?
11/01/2007 16:40 - (SA)
Washington - David Beckham is expected to leave Real Madrid and sign with a Major League Soccer team, ABC News reported on Thursday.
The network's website reported that the 31-year-old former England captain will not return to Real and instead try to lift the sport to new heights in the United States, where Pele once brought the sport spectacular appeal.
Beckham's agent Dan Courtmanche confirmed that they are in discussion with Los Angeles Galaxy, a team that is located near Beckham's Southern California sports academy.
"I've played now for two of the biggest clubs in the world. I've played at the highest level for 15 years and now I think I need another challenge," Beckham told the US network.
Beckham's contract with Real runs out at the end of the season and he has been negotiating a new deal that would keep him at the Bernabeu until 2009.
On Wednesday Real sporting director Predrag Mijatovic was quoted as telling Sky Italia that Beckham's contract with the Spanish giants had not been renewed.
But the club later denied that the star midfielder was on his way out, stressing that negotiations over a new deal were still ongoing.
Beckham, who had previously spent the whole of his professional career with Manchester United, moved to Spain in 2003 after falling out with Old Trafford mentor Alex Ferguson.
He was one of several high-profile signings, along with Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Luis Figo, who collectively became known as the "galaticos".
But Real have failed to win a major trophy during Beckham's time in Spain and he himself has drifted out of the first team.
While Beckham has fallen from the starting lineup, he would be a superstar with the glamour and appeal to make American audiences take notice of a sport largely ignored in favour of baseball, basketball and American football.
- AFP
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