Wednesday, 18 February 2009

The American Dream?

When it was announced in January 2007 that David Beckham would make the move from the Galáctico's to the Galaxy his motives were questioned. However it seems Beckham's motivation for a move to AC Milan is purely for his love of the game.

For many pundits the reported £128m Beckham would earn as part of the LA Galaxy deal was enough of a selling point and his last big payday before retirement in the Californian sun. So what changed for the man who wanted to give the gift of football to the American public?

It is hard to understand what was going through his mind in 2007 but for Beckham things on the football side of his life were not well. A year earlier Beckham emotionally stepped down as England Captain and the era of the Galáctico at Real Madrid was coming to an end under then manager Fabio Capello. A fresh challenge in a new and up and coming competition like Major League Soccer would have been tempting to any player. There were many others who joined or had already left for pastures new, such as Juan Pablo Angel, Darren Huckerby and Danny Dichio.

The irony is that Fabio Capello, the man who played a big role in Beckham's move to LA Galaxy could be a big reason for Beckham determination to move to Milan. Now England manager, Capello has given Beckham a chance to be part of a England side rejuvenated after the failures of previous squads. Whatever occurs from the tug of war between Galaxy and Milan it seems David Beckham may have never lost his passion for the game and believe that he still has a few years at the top left in him.

4 comments:

  1. An interesting piece.Beckham is one of the few modern footballers whos dedication cannot be questioned but his move to galaxy did raise a few eyebrows.lets hope he works something out with milan and that transfers to the the england team

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  2. I think Beckham can see now that a move to Galaxy wasn't in his best interests and probably regrets it now as he has proved he is still good enough to play at a high standard for most teams accross Europe. It is good to see that he obviously still loves the game and I hope he gets his move to Milan, because I still feel he can do a job in the England squad but he needs to be playing at a high level to keep up with the fitness requirements of international football.

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  3. One thing that can always be said about David Beckham is that representing his country by playing at international level has always been one of his top priorities. Therefore it doesn't suprise me that he is moving back to Europe for the last stage of his career.

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  4. I am a big fan of Beckham and believe that he truly does love the game and, through his soccer schools, has proved he is keen to give back to the sport he has gained so much from. Yes, LA was a mistake, but I feel it is down to the wrong people advising him and a publicity hungry wife desperate to mix with America's elite that led to him taking that career choice. Very good article and discusses a topic I am deeply interested in.

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