England06.net

Posts Tagged ‘Beckham’

• Midfielder wants to continue in top-flight football
• Played whole of Milan’s 4-0 win over Siena

David Beckham said today that he will play on after this year’s World Cup. The 34-year-old LA Galaxy midfielder, who is on loan at Milan, was responding to a report that he was planning to retire and return to England after the tournament in South Africa.

Beckham said: “I’ve always said I’d love to carry on playing after the World Cup and that isn’t going to change. I don’t know where the reports have come from, they definitely haven’t come from myself.”

Beckham, who seems almost certain to be a member of Fabio Capello’s squad for the World Cup, has started all three games since returning to San Siro for a second spell. He played the whole of Milan’s 4-0 win over Siena on Sunday.

In his first spell with the club, Beckham scored twice in 18 appearances and such has been his impact that the Milan vice-president, Adriano Galliani, recently said he would welcome him back for a third spell.

“We will have to wait and see,” ­Beckham said. “I will want to be playing top-flight football. I have a year and a half left on my contract there [in Los Angeles] and obviously I am going back there after this, so it won’t be a problem.”

After returning to Los Angeles from Milan in 2009, Beckham suffered a hostile reaction from Galaxy supporters, but won them over by helping the team to the Major League Soccer Cup final, where they lost on penalties to Real Salt Lake.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player hopes to help the Galaxy to a third MLS title.

“We were successful last year, but we want to win it and that is what we will look to do this year,” Beckham said.

For full story go to here

• Beckham plays 76 minutes on return in 5-2 victory over Genoa
• Created early chances, turned down shot at penalty kick

David Beckham played 76 minutes in his first game back at Milan, helping to win a penalty and playing an influential role in a 5-2 victory over Genoa in front of the watching Fabio Capello at San Siro as his attempt to convince the England manager that he merits a place at the World Cup finals started with a bang.

Beckham went close to scoring with a familiar long-range strike in the first half which hit the side netting. He had been the catalyst for Milan’s first chance, a pinpoint cross to Marco Borriello in just the third minute required an excellent save from the Genoa goalkeeper Marco Amelia.

Beckham later turned down the chance to take Milan’s third penalty attempt, which was converted by the substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for Milan’s fifth goal. The Los Angeles Galaxy winger was substituted shortly afterwards. Minor injuries to Milan regulars Alexandre Pato, Clarence Seedorf and Andrea Pirlo had allowed the England midfielder to take a starting berth on his return to Serie A.

Milan’s victory helped the Rossoneri maintain the gap with city rivals and Serie A leaders Internazionale at eight points after José Mourinho’s team earlier won 1-0 at Chievo Verona.

At San Siro, the Milan forward Borriello, playing on the left wing as part of a forward attacking three with Beckham in his familiar role on the right and Ronaldinho in the centre, scored twice in the second half. Ronaldinho saw his weak spot-kick saved, but was successful with another while the Brazilian defender Thiago Silva capitalised for an opportunists goal before Huntelaar’s penalty.

The win had not seemed so straightforward for Milan after the first half-hour. Genoa went ahead thanks to Giuseppe Sculli’s goal in the 25th minute after Ronaldinho’s penalty failure in the 13th. Beckham’s cross to Borriello was headed down for Massimo Ambrosini to win Milan’s second penalty, which Ronaldo duly converted in the 32nd minute.

For Inter, the Manchester City target Patrick Viera played the full 90 minutes against Chievo, with Mourinho later hailing the 33-year-old who had “certainly played his last game” for the club.

“I don’t know where he will go, maybe to England which he likes a lot, but we should thank him for what he has done in these years at Inter,” said Mourinho. “The club decided not to renew his contract, which is coming to an end, and to accept the offer of another club. I will miss him.”

The Inter left-back Cristian Chivu was in surgery for over more than an hour after fracturing his skull in a clash of heads against Chievo.

The Romanian was not in any life-threatening danger but will stay in a Verona hospital under observation for some time after an operation to relieve a haematoma and take out bone fragments.

“Everything went normally and therefore we are quite confident the patient can recover without problems,” doctor Sergio Turazzi said in a statement.

The loss of the dependable Chivu is a blow to the Serie A leaders, who have no like-for-like replacement. Inter’s right-footed fullback Davide Santon is also injured and Javier Zanetti is needed in midfield.

“We hope (Chivu) can come back as soon as possible but I think he will be out of action for a while,” Mourinho said.

For full story go to here

• Beckham revealed to have suffered since he was a child
• Beckham pictured using inhaler during MLS Cup final

David Beckham has suffered from asthma since he was a child, it was reported last night, but medical experts were quick to play down fears that he could struggle in the thin air he would encounter at the World Cup in South Africa, where six venues are 3,000 feet or more above sea level.

The England midfielder was photographed using an inhaler as he prepared for extra-time in Los Angeles Galaxy’s MLS Cup final defeat by Real Salt Lake on Monday morning and yesterday his spokesman Simon Oliveira admitted that the 34-year-old had been forced to deal with a mild form of the condition for some time. “David has suffered with this since he was a young boy but obviously it has had no effect on his performance,” Oliveira said. “He has never sought to make it public but, if it does inspire any sufferer to think they can achieve great things, then so much the better.

“Some of the best athletes in the world suffer from asthma and there is no problem with his aerobic fitness.”

Beckham is due to return to AC Milan next month as he tries to make sure of a place in Fabio Capello’s squad for South Africa, where altitude is expected to be a factor, but Dr John Moore-Gillon, a spokesman for the British Lung Foundation, did not anticipate it being a problem for the former Manchester United player. “Plenty of elite athletes suffer from asthma without it affecting performance, particularly if it is well-controlled,” he said. “The fact that Beckham’s had it from a young age and has achieved all that he has achieved suggests that he won’t have a problem.”

However, Dr Moore-Gillon did counsel caution in the use of inhalers, which could, in some circumstances, he said, fall foul of drug abuse laws.

Among the most high-profile sports people to have overcome the condition are Paula Radcliffe, the marathon runner, the former England rugby international Austin Healy and Beckham’s former England and Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes.

For full story go to here

• Midfielder pulls out after LA Galaxy reach western final
• Landon Donovon penalty sees Beckham’s side through

David Beckham has been withdrawn from England’s squad to face Brazil in Doha next week after his LA Galaxy side reached the Major League Soccer Western Conference final.

The Galaxy progressed to Friday night’s game against Houston Dynamo with a 1-0 second-leg win over Chivas USA at the Home Depot Centre courtesy of a 73rd-minute Landon Donovan penalty that gave them a 3-2 aggregate victory.

The win leaves the Galaxy just one game away from the MLS Cup final which decides the league champions.

Beckham had sent in a defence-splitting pass to Donovan that led to Mike Magee being felled for the game-winning penalty kick, but the Englishman was forced out of the action five minutes later having struggled from a knock to his lower back.

Beckham had ice strapped to the problem area and watched from the bench as his team-mates hung on to their lead against a late Chivas rally.

Houston had reached the conference final earlier in the day with a 1-0 home win over a Seattle Sounders featuring Freddie Ljungberg and Kasey Keller. Brian Ching’s stoppage-time winner had been the only game of the two-legged tie and brought to an end a successful inaugural season for the Sounders.

In the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Fire progressed at the expense of the New England Revolution and will face Real Salt Lake, who knocked out defending MLS champions Columbus Crew on Friday.

For full story go to here

• Midfielder will join Milan on loan with LA Galaxy’s blessing
• Beckham to return to MLS action once the World Cup ends

David Beckham faces a year of solid football, according to the man who helped take him to Los Angeles Galaxy. Tim Leiweke, the chief executive of AEG which owns Galaxy, said Beckham would have little time off between the World Cup, assuming he makes the England squad, and resuming his club career with the Galaxy.

“We’re not going to give him as much time off this time,” Leiweke said. “He’s going to have to earn his keep. He will have a little time off.”

In his hope to play in South Africa Beckham is expected to join Milan again on loan in January to keep his fitness levels up and Leiweke is supportive of the player’s ambition.

“We have a deep appreciation of what he is doing over here with his national team,” he said at the Leaders In Football summit at Stamford Bridge. “I wanted him to know that we will support him, so we are going to lend him out.”

Galaxy want Beckham’s loan deal sorted out soon so he can concentrate on a title challenge with his club. “We want to get it done, for him and for us, because we have work to do over the next few weeks and I don’t want any confusion,” Leiweke said.

For full story go to here

Goal scorers Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, plus current and former captains John Terry and Daviod Beckham, give their thoughts on England’s performance against Croatia

For full story go to here

• Beckham will not make a fuss if he fails to make squad
• But he says he offers ’something different’ for Fabio Capello

David Beckham confronted the unthinkable last night. The veteran has molded his immediate career plans almost entirely around the sole aim of convincing Fabio Capello that, come the end of the current campaign, he will still be worthy of a place in England’s World Cup squad. However, with memories of Paul Gascoigne in 1998 abounding, his would be a sense of acceptance rather than outrage should his best efforts go unrewarded.

Gascoigne wrecked a hotel room, kicking over chairs and breaking lamps, and acted like “a man possessed” according to Glenn Hoddle when informed he would not be included in the party for the finals in France some 11 years ago. “I’m an England fan,” said Beckham when offered a similar scenario.

“If I don’t end up being in the squad that goes to South Africa, that won’t mean I won’t still be supporting the lads and wanting them to win. I want to be involved but, if I’m not selected, it’s because the manager believes he’d have a stronger squad and stronger players without me. I would accept that.”

Diplomacy dictates Beckham’s international approach these days, even if his burning desire to reach a fourth World Cup will inevitably inflame relations in California when he secures a second loan spell away from Major League Soccer and the Los Angeles Galaxy this winter, with a return to Europe to maintain form and fitness. That will incense the same Galaxy supporters who were so disgruntled at the 34-year-old’s six-month stint with Milan earlier this year. The midfielder will hope that is a small price to pay.

Yet, such has been the revival instigated within the national set-up by Capello in the last 18 months that Beckham’s inclusion in a squad for the finals next year – qualification can be secured with victory against Croatia tomorrow – no longer seems an inevitability. The former captain trotted up and down the touchline on Saturday as his team-mates defeated Slovenia 2-1 but was denied a 114th cap, condemning him to his first experience of life as a non-playing substitute since England played Tunisia in Marseille in their opening game of the 1998 finals, just a few weeks after Gascoigne’s outburst.

Theo Walcott, if fit, Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips have each staked a claim for the berth on the right of midfield that Beckham craves. “Without a doubt,” offered the midfielder when asked if he faced a real challenge to make the squad. “I wouldn’t have any reason to feel guilty if I was selected ahead of any of those lads – the manager will pick the squad he needs to win games. If I’m in, then great. If I’m not, it’s good for the other players. We’re really lucky to have the players we have at the moment.

“I maybe offer something different, on and off the pitch, with the experiences I’ve had throughout my career playing for England in big competitions and for some of the biggest clubs. If that brings something to this squad and to the young players, that’s great. But all the players have realised that nothing is certain about being in squads now. Every player has to work hard to get the manager’s attention. If you’re playing well, you’ve got a chance. If you’re not performing, you haven’t got a chance.”It helps to be performing in a competitive league. Milan still hope to secure Beckham’s return to San Siro in January in a similar loan agreement to that struck with Galaxy last year. The Rossoneri remain the player’s preference as well, though there are other suitors. “Three or four clubs (have expressed an interest),” he said. “Milan have made me aware that they want me to go back there, and I’m more than happy with that, but it’s always good to have options.”

Those interested do not, as yet, include Sven Goran Eriksson and Notts County, with Beckham’s focus fixed upon playing at a high enough level to justify his inclusion in the party bound for South Africa. “The Galaxy understand,” added the midfielder. “I’ve got a great relationship with the owner, Tim Leiweke, and they know I have to come back. If it upsets a few people, I can’t do anything about that. I keep saying how much I enjoy playing over there and how committed I am to the Galaxy, but I want to give myself every chance to be involved in the England squad.

“I’ve got plans, but my main focus now is on this game against Croatia. Being knocked out by them ahead of Euro 2008 was disastrous for us as a footballing nation. It’s not about revenge. It’s about us reaching the World Cup. The trust and belief had been lost in the players, but the squad has brought that back. Now we have to put qualification to bed.”

For full story go to here

• Beckham sent off for tackle on Seattle’s Peter Vagenas
• England midfielder apologies as Galaxy crash to 2-0 defeat

David Beckham’s time at the Los Angeles Galaxy struck another bum note when he was sent off in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Seattle Sounders.

The former England captain was given a straight red card for a tackle on the Sounders midfielder Peter Vagenas in the 17th minute. Beckham was booed off the field but he insists there was no maliciousness involved.

“Pete is one of my best friends,” he told the club’s official website. “I think it’s a hard tackle but not with means for a red card.

“I’ve never gone in one tackle wanting to hurt someone. The referee saw it differently.”

Beckham has had a hard time back in the US since returning from a successful loan spell at Milan.

On his arrival in LA he became embroiled in a row with team-mate Landon Donovan over comments the striker made in a book called ‘The Beckham Experiment’ which questioned the Englishman’s commitment to the Galaxy.

And he was twice involved in confrontations with fans during his first three games back in a Galaxy shirt.

The 34-year-old is likely to seek a repeat of his loan spell with Milan from January to May this year when his stint with the Galaxy comes to an end as he bids to figure in Fabio Capello’s England squad for next summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa.

For full story go to here

• ‘You want competition, it’s what makes great teams’
• 34-year-old likely to be loaned to Milan in January

David Beckham has said that competition for places in the England squad is growing stronger and the start of the Premier League season will only increase the intensity as players set their sights on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Beckham played the first half in last night’s 2-2 draw against Holland in Amsterdam, but at 34 he is not an automatic selection for the tournament, with Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips, James Milner and Aaron Lennon all candidates for the right flank position in midfield.

“Without a doubt competition for places is growing stronger,” Beckham said. “It’s like that week in, week out and it’s what you want in a World Cup year. Hopefully once we qualify that will continue because you want competition, it’s what makes great teams. If no one is pushing you then you are not pushing yourself so it’s important we’ve got that.”

Beckham is expected to be loaned by LA Galaxy to Milan in January to maintain his sharpness at the end of the MLS campaign. He again refused to rule out an eventual return to the Premier League, but said: “It’s important I’m playing in a European league leading up to the World Cup.”

David James is another of the seasoned internationals whose place is under threat. The West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green has started three games in a row following injury to James and he said: “I feel I am finding my feet at international level. This was the most comfortable I have ever felt in the international scene. I’m sure David James will come back fitter and stronger than ever. There are a number of other guys wanting the shirt and whoever is on form will get the shirt.

“The manager will watch all of us at games and see how we are doing in club football. For the first time that has really been taken into account – your form. So the importance of keeping your focus and form throughout the league season is paramount. The carrot of the World Cup is the biggest there is. To be tantalisingly close is something which no one in the squad is underestimating if and when we qualify.”

For full story go to here

• Midfielder makes first MLS appearance of season tonight
• Claims a return to Milan will aid his World Cup dream

David Beckham has launched an impassioned defence of his decision to join Milan on loan midway through last season and, despite fierce criticism in the United States over a perceived lack of commitment to Los Angeles Galaxy, has pledged to do the same again in the year ahead to maintain his hopes of representing England at the 2010 World Cup finals.

The 34-year-old former national captain returns to Major League Soccer at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey tonight and is expected to start when the team he joined in the summer of 2007, in a five-year deal worth around £25m a season, take on New York Red Bulls. Beckham continues to be MLS’s major attraction and some 100 journalists filed into a pre-match press conference ahead of a game that will be attended by around 40,000 supporters.

The atmosphere was distinctly prickly at the W hotel in Hoboken, as Beckham fronted the media alongside his coach, Bruce Arena, although the veteran was unrepentant over his decision to return to Europe with Milan for six months, a deal he part-financed himself and which ensured he missed a significant proportion of the current MLS season.

“I was given the chance to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world and still be contracted to my club [LA Galaxy],” he said. “For those first three months, when the Galaxy weren’t playing, I enjoyed a great time. Then Milan asked me to stay on.

“Ask any player in any league in the world and, if they were given the chance to spend a bit more time at one of the biggest clubs in the world, not one player would turn that down. I’m an honest person. If I didn’t want to be here now, I wouldn’t be here. I’ve been committed to every contract I’ve had as a soccer player: with Manchester United, Real Madrid and now the Galaxy. If people want to question my professionalism and my commitment, they should take into account that I travel thousands of miles to play for my country. That says it all.

“At the moment my priority is the rest of the season and staying in every squad for England and representing my country. Going forward, I want to be at the World Cup. But even if I go on loan to Milan or another club [in December], it doesn’t guarantee me a place at the World Cup. Once the season is over, I’ll decide what I do from then on.

“But the England manager has made it very clear to me that I need to be playing at European level. I’d always regret it if I didn’t do everything to give myself a chance to be involved in that.”

Some of the fiercest criticism of Beckham’s hiatus from the MLS came from his team-mate Landon Donovan, who claimed the former England skipper “wasn’t committed” to the Galaxy in a book, The Beckham Experiment, published this week. Arena has since arranged for the midfielders to meet and clear the air. “I spoke with Landon after the game, the win against Chivas USA on Saturday,” Beckham said. “We sat down, we went through everything that had been said. Landon apologised and I told him my view on things.

“It’s forgotten about. We’re both men. We don’t take it on to the field, because that’s when it would disrupt us, and we go on and play our soccer. That’s the most important thing.

“All I’ll say is he apologised for everything that went on and the position that we were in. We’re professionals and we move on. I’ve always been very positive and very honest with my play here. I explained to everyone – the manager, the players, the fans – the reasoning behind me going to Milan. I’ve always said I’d be coming back. Maybe one or two didn’t believe me but I’m here. I’m committed to the team.”

Beckham has pledged to honour his contract in Los Angeles, which runs to 2012, but will return to Europe – most likely with Milan but potentially to the Premier League if the Rossoneri do not take up their option – in January in an attempt to prove to Fabio Capello that he should be part of England’s squad for the World Cup.

Arena admitted the previous loan move had been “a little bit awkward”, though he did not give the impression the club would stand in the midfielder’s way when he seeks a repeat arrangement at the end of the MLS season in November.

“It would have to be another six-month loan leading up to the World Cup,” Beckham said. “But, with the last loan, it worked out pretty well. I’m not going to sit here and say it was ideal and perfect. It was great for myself but it’s tough for the Galaxy and the guys when you lose any player.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Galaxy. I don’t know where I’ll go. Milan said before I left that they’d love me to come back but at the moment all I’m focusing on is the Galaxy. I’m committed to them and I’m happy here.”

For full story go to here