Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, has claimed that David Beckham’s focus on football was no longer the same, after he married his wife, Victoria.
Ferguson was speaking on US TV network PBS on Tuesday night and bared his mind on a lot of football matters, including turning down Roman Abramovich’s offer to manage Chelsea.
“As a young kid when I got him at 12 years of age his great desire was [to play] some of the best football,” Ferguson said about Beckham. “He was a fantastic trainer, practised all the time. At night-time he would come by with the schoolboys and practise with them. And he was in that collection.
“And then of course, his life changed, when he married the girl from The Spice Girls, yeah. And his focus changed.
“He got drawn into that celebrity status, you know? And for me, I’m a football man. I’m a football man. He lost the focus. And when we sold him to Real Madrid, he did well.”
Ferguson also expressed his admiration for how his former protege has reinvented himself, after he decided to sell him to Real Madrid, but admits he was surprised about his decision to play in Major League Soccer.
“I couldn’t believe that he goes to LA Galaxy. I couldn’t believe that. I couldn’t understand that. I would never do that, you know?” he added. “If I was going to go, I would be making sure he would go to the best, and Real Madrid was the best, I would say, and United.
“But he reinvented himself. He goes and plays for the English national team for a couple more years. He goes and plays for AC Milan [in the] European Cup. He’s unbelievable. He really is — and good, well done to him. You can’t argue with the status he has in life.”
Beckham went on to become England’s most-capped outfield player, but despite his global celebrity status, Ferguson says he would have loved him to have more success on the pitch.
“Well, for me, it would have pleased me more to see him be a great, great player, you know?” Ferguson added. “As I said, I’m a football man. But how can I argue with life? He’s an icon for young people… and represents himself the proper way. And I say well done.
“Amazing boy, yeah. I mean, how he has created himself. He’s fantastic. Wonderful boy.”
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