A big thank you to Becks fan Duyen Vo for sharing some links to more clips from the Adidas Futbol meets Football campaign featuring David Beckham. First up I have added a clip of Becks working on his field goal technique!

You can also see additional clips -
Becks teaching Regggie penalties and playing goalie - watch it

Becks teaching Regggie free kicks - watch it

Becks: "Am I being Punk'd" the extended mix - watch it

Thanks Duyen. Also just a reminder that David Beckham will be participating in the Concert for Diana tomorrow, more details.

David Beckham's LA Galaxy presentation and press conference will take place at 11am LA time on July 13. The press conference will be streamed live on mlsnet.com, details here.

Here's the last of the Adios Beckham clips scroll down to clip one to watch them in order.

Clip six:

Last clip:

David and Victoria Beckham arrived back from their holiday this morning, looking very tanned! Photos of the couple at London's Heathrow airport are in the gallery.

Thanks to v.e.x for the link to the Beckham Unwrapped program that aired on Fox over the weekend, you can watch it online here.

Here's clip five from Adios Beckham (to watch them in order scroll down to clip one)

Clip three: (this is a really lovely part with some very heartfelt comments from Zidane and Roberto Carlos about David Beckham)

Clip four:

Sky Sports Revista de La Liga aired a special on David Beckham on the weekend, that looks back over his time with Real Madrid because of the length of the program I will be splitting it into several clips here are the first two

Also Adidas have put one of the futbol meets football images online in hi-res, hopefully they will add more soon, view it here.

clip one:

clip two:

Update - The website is live now!

Here is another longer behind the scenes clip from the making of David Beckham's new Adidas Ad. You can view and download clips directly from the campaign website too although there is only one online now.

A massively huge super-sized thank you to Tanique33 and v.e.x who both gave me the heads up about a really cool 'behind the scenes' clip of David Beckham and Reggie Bush making their Futbol meets Football Ad for Adidas. I really really (did I mention really!) appreciate it :)



Also I've added some more photos of David Beckham from the making of the Ad (details in the next post down) to the gallery.

Thanks to Ben for sharing an interesting article that looks at Wayne Gretzky's impact on Hockey as a possible predictor of Becks impact on soccer in the US, full story here.

Update - A big thanks to Catherine for sharing a link to more photos of Becks from the filming of his new Adidas commercial in The Sun. I've added them to the gallery.

Thanks to Ben for sending through a picture of David Beckham taken during the filming of the Futbol vs Football campaign for Adidas (click to view a larger pic)The Ads will feature Becks and NFL star Reggie Bush swapping sports. The campaign will be launched this week by Adidas in the US. They are also about to add an "americanized" version of David Beckham's Impossible Is Nothing Story to their US website. The Adidas press release is online here and includes quotes from Becks but the website mentioned is not yet live so keep an eye out for that. There are two more "cute" photos in the gallery!

Here are three videos I didn't quite manage to finish uploading before I went on holiday. I have internet access again now so can post them. They are montages, with video from four different sources, you may have already seen all of this footage but depending on which channels you watched, you might spot something new. I am still "on holiday" but I will try to upload the Adios Beckham show and do a quick update in the next couple of days :)

Celebration at Cibeles compilation:

celebration at The Bernabeu compilation:

During the match compilation:

A huge thank you to Notorious who has sent me clips from the Real Madrid website as I am still having trouble with their videos. Real Madrid have posted another David Beckham post match interview and a strangely edited clip with spanish commentary labelled the goodbye of Roberto Carlos and David Beckham and I've added it to the end of the interview clip. For anyone having trouble with Real Madrid.com, like me, here they are.

Update - According to reports, David Beckham has arrived in Thailand Wednesday and will visit Phuket and Surat Thani's Samui island. So Singapore was a transit point and by the sounds of it the Beckham's are having a beach holiday in Thailand. Hope they enjoy it!

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Photos of David Beckham winning La Liga and celebrating are here

There are photos of David and Victoria Beckham passing through Heathrow yesterday in the gallery the caption says they were on there way to Singapore? I am not sure if this is a business trip or a holiday? The family is expected to take a well earned break sometime before they arrive in America. I hope the whole family has a wonderful time. It will be great for Becks to have a chance to relax and recuperate. I will be completing what I can and then, like Becks, taking a holiday and putting the site on hiatus. Any clips I don't get too will be posted next week. In the meantime the coverage from Skynews on youtube has some nice scenes of Becks celebrating!



And this clip has the scene of Becks kissing the center circle which I didn't get in my TV coverage -



Here's a couple of good articles from today's papers, 'Spain Bids Farewell to Beckham' from The Telegraph and also a special from USA Today - thanks to Tyler for the heads up. The Sun also reported that Gary Neville, John Terry and Steven Gerrard interrupted their honeymoons to send their congratulations to Becks! The Independent also has a nice summing up of just how beloved Becks became in Spain.

I really loved some of the comments from the spanish press which show that in the end they really understood how very special he is.

The newspaper El Mundo said: "Beckham leaves with the feeling that he should have won more. The greatest right foot to grace the Bernabeu in the last few decades departs. He only got the luck he deserved right at the end."

Best-selling daily El Pais reflected the spirit and fight that made Beckham so popular. "Beckham is the great paradox of world football," it wrote. "He is the greatest icon on the planet and the cause of such delirium in the media and on the streets, the greatest catwalk model there is. And yet he has been an anti-diva.

"He was the most galactic of the galacticos off the pitch, but the greatest of earthlings when he walked on to the field."

Other news

Thanks to Joyce who e-mailed me to say that US Fox Soccer Channel is airing a 30 minute program called Beckham Unwrapped this Sun, Jun 24, 5:00p - 5:30p est and it repeats again at 6:30p the same day. It will be a profile on Becks.

The International Herald Tribune reports that a concert for Peace is to take place Sept. 21 at Royal Albert Hall in London and that David Beckham will be recording a special video message for the concert, details here.

As there are a lot of photos coming out from the match and celebrations as well as the celebratory Dinner that Posh and Becks had with Tom and Katie - I am putting all the photos in a separate album here

Here is David Beckham's post match interview with Skysports -

Real Madrid Celebrations

Also Videos of Worldsports coverage of Real Madrid celebrating La Liga Title!

Part One:

Part Two:

There is some cute coverage in The Sun and also here. Sid Lowe has devoted his column in The Telegraph to Becks and there is more coverage here. It was especially nice to read about his mega-watt smile! There is also coverage at AFP including quotes from an apologetic Capello, and a nice article in The Times

WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first of the photos from the match and a few beautiful photos of Becks with Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz celebrating Daddy's win are in the gallery.

David Beckham spoke at Cibeles and said "It's incredible, a dream come true. I'd like to dedicate it to all the people and the team. I couldn't ask for a better send-off. I've finally achieved what I've wanted for so long."

He also told Skysport "I couldn't have dreamt it any better.. It's been about winning the title for the last six months - and we've deserved it tonight.

It's been an incredible experience - but all I remember now is the great things.

Winning this tonight now puts to bed everything else.

It's amazing to have my family here. They have been with me for four years in Spain and they've been through the ups and downs - and they've felt the euphoria tonight. It meant the world to have everyone that supported me throughout my career - my whole family, my wife, my mum and dad, my sister and children. It's incredible."

The only sour note was that the injury Becks was recovering from has relapsed, he said "I felt it snap again - there was a lot of pain." I'm sure the title is a great pain killer! Let's hope Becks feels better soon, he now has the chance to have a holiday and heal fully!

Here is a clip from Marca of Becks and the team going to Cibeles.

Zinedine Zidane has hailed David Beckham as one of the game's greatest players. Zidane's comments were reported in the Sunday Mirror -

"David is immortalised in football history. He is one of the game's greatest players."

"There was never any doubt in my mind that he wanted to end his career at the club. I think Madrid should have done everything in their power to keep him because he's unique. They won't find it easy to replace him - it's almost impossible."

Zidane says Beckham's ability to bounce back from adversity and prove people wrong is his greatest strength.

He explained: "Look at England. People had written him off and he comes back even stronger. It was the same with Madrid. Even when some people said he would never play for the club again he just put his head down and worked hard to play himself back into the team." Read the full story and comments online here.

Ruud pays tribute

The Sunday Mirror also has a glowing tribute to Becks from team-mate and friend Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who said -

"What he [David Beckham] has done in the last few months goes beyond the imagination.

Becks has even shocked me - in the most positive way. He's playing the best football of his life. I know because I train with him and I play with him... I rate him so highly because he can pass the ball to me from anywhere on the pitch, so accurately and with such speed that it's a deadly weapon against defenders."

He credited David Beckham's down-to-earth nature as key to his success saying, "David is not the kind of lad who wakes up in the morning thinking how big and famous he his. He does not think he has to show the whole world all the time he is the Big David Beckham. That has made him big and keeps him a great player." Read all of Ruuds comments about David Beckham online here.

I am working on a gallery to mark David Beckham's last week at Real Madrid - you can view the photos I have added so far here.

Good luck King David

David Beckham will play his last game in the white shirt of Real Madrid tonight at the Santiago Benabeu. This alone would be sufficient cause for great emotion but as destiny would have it, tonights game against Mallorca will also decide La Liga. The squad travelled together to the team hotel last night and the Real Madrid site said that David Beckham was noticeably moved when he saluted the fans who had gathered.

The Times set the scene as follows: "Some time around half past eight tonight, local time, David Beckham will perform his last warm-up routines on the pitch at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Familiar rituals, such as the exchange of long passes across the width of the field with Roberto Carlos, balls arrowed repeatedly from the Englishman’s right foot to the Brazilian’s left. As the two men look up, they will see epitaph banners dedicated to each, a glossy tribute to Roberto Carlos, a painted, lovingly prepared caricature of Beckham as Saint George.

Shortly before kick-off, Beckham will give his left ankle a little test. He has had to bear the injury to be available... And just before the players take their starting positions, he will slap his palms gently against those of goalkeeper Iker Casillas, and they will touch cheeks, Spanish style, to wish one another good luck." Read the full article online here.

A match preview is online at Goal.com It also seems a good time to bring back the "I believe there comes a time" video clip!

Good luck to Becks and the boys tonight! Please say a prayer, make a wish, cross all you can cross, light a candle, summon the spirits, and keep the faith one more time this season! Go Becks, Kia Kaha, Hala Madrid, God Bless and Good Luck to the whole team!!

David Beckham trained fully with the team today and is expected to start tomorrow night's crucial match against Mallorca, squad list. Becks gave reporters, who were asking if he would be ready to play, a thumbs up. A win will see Real Madrid crowned champions of the Primera Liga. It was Becks last training session at Real Madrid and he trained closely with Roberto Carlos and both were especially affectionate with their teammates. They talked, laughed, joked around, and shared their sadness for leaving and their hopes of winning the League. Training report in english is now online and photos are in the gallery

I have also placed some large untagged recent photos of David Beckham training and playing with Real Madrid in a separate album as these photos are too large to fit the gallery page lay out, you can view them here.

Roberto Carlos gave an interview to AS Diario and said "I feel proud to have known David because besides being a great player, he is also a great person. I am sad that he leaves Real Madrid because he is a world class player."

Iker Casillas when asked about it being Roberto Carlos and David Beckham's last game told the Real Madrid site, "I will be sad when they leave. One never truly believes the day will come... We should pay tribute to them on Sunday for all they've done for this Club."

Fabio Capello confirmed that David Beckham would start, he told the pre-match press conference, "I spoke with him after training and he said that he felt very good and would have no problems in playing." Capello also said, "I think Beckham has been a very important player... I would put him up amongst the best players I've ever coached." Full story here. Thanks Yaohan-bu for your help :)

Thanks to Jffcollado A large section of David Beckham's press conference is available on You Tube in 4 parts. Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 and Part 4, thanks to Tanique33 for the heads up.

Update - Training photos in the gallery and report online.

Here is a little over 20 minutes of this weeks Revista de La Liga show. As it is the final week of the Primera Liga the show focussed on Real Madrid and David Beckham. The show was recorded before David Beckham's press conference yesterday and so the presenters make a few comments which of course are no longer relevant.

Part one:

Part two (sorry about the synching):

Princess Diana Memorial Concert

According to The Sun David Beckham will make an appearance at the Princess Diana Memorial Concert scheduled for July 1, her birthday. He will possibly introduce one of the high profile acts for the evening either Elton John or Take That. Becks was invited by Princes William and Harry to be part of the special event to honor their mother and raise money for her favorite charities. Full story here.

David Beckham has moved from number 43 all the way up to number 15 on the Forbes Magazine Celebrity power 100! Thanks to Duyen Vo for the heads up. Full list here.

David Beckham gave his final press conference at Real Madrid after training today. I will put the photos in the 'this week' gallery and shift them to the press conference album at the end of the week.

Here is a compilation of clips from Skysports, Reuters, The BBC, and Marca

The full transcript of David beckham's comments are available on the Real Madrid site in english click here.

Becks back in training

Today David Beckham trained on the pitch for the first time this week, although he trained separately from his team-mates, it is still a very good sign that he is recovering well and is hopefully on track to start this Sunday's match against Mallorca. It will be a very special ocassion as it will be David Beckham's last game for Real Madrid and a win will see the team crowned La Liga Champions which would be a very special way for him to bid the club farewell. The training report in spanish is online here and the training photos are in the gallery.

Blair backs David Beckham

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has praised David Beckham saying -

(The Times) "I think he’s [David Beckham] fantastic... I’m a tremendous admirer of him. He’s done a great job at representing the country and I think the one thing that’s really interesting about him is how he comes back.

What he’s done in the last few months for both his club and then for his country is remarkable and I think we should be proud of him as a country.”

Deco tribute to David Beckham

Barcelona player Deco has paid tribute to David Beckham ahead of La Liga's final weekend saying, "He has shown he is still among the best in the world and as an opponent it is good for us that he is leaving! Beckham is so good technically and has shown a terrific commitment and desire to come back to his best.

He has given Real Madrid something extra special in the past few months. He has shown strength of character to come back so well for the team...He is a brilliant player, someone who I admire and he has been very good for Real Madrid. His passing, crossing and work-rate make him really special.

He's shown he is still a world-class player. In England, Italy and Spain, he's among the very best. I admire him a lot. But Real Madrid are our rivals and we must make sure we do everything to win the title."Full story in The Mirror.

Update - Photos of David Beckham dropping Cruz at nursery school have been added to the gallery. There are also photos of Becks from a farewell dinner at Asador Donostiarra attended by Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos and other friends, last night in the same gallery. Thanks Scilla for the heads up.

Becks remained in the gymn during Real Madrid training again, however Roberto Carlos made some hopeful comments during a press conference at Real Madrid today. A reporter commented to him "You live these last moments next to your friend David Beckham..." and Roberto Carlos replied "David is as sad as I am for leaving the best Club in the world. He is a great player and human being whom I deeply respect and am very fond of. I think he is recovering well. He seems to be walking without problems. I'm no doctor, but we all want him to play his best game on Sunday"

A big thanks to Notorious for sharing this clip that aired on Revista de La Liga back in January when David Beckham's move to the LA Galaxy was first announced.

Also here is a retrospective of David Beckham's first two season's at the club. His time at the club is drawing to a close but it is not yet complete and a final and hopefully perfect ending to his four seasons with Real Madrid is still to be written! So let's keep all our positive thoughts and energy focussed on this Sunday's title decider and David Beckham's swift recovery. For a fairly humorous review of the weekend that was you can read Spanish Things column

David Beckham will be the subject of a one hour sports documentary that will follow his last month in Spain, including his return to the England national team and his move to the US. The documentary is being made by 19 entertainment and is expected to air at the end of July on ITV and ESPN. Details here.

In addition to this, Guillem Balague reports in AS.com that Sky Sports will screen a special tribute to David Beckham which will include an interview with Becks as well as personal messages from Zidane, Roberto Carlos and a number of other football personalities. I have contacted Sky Sports and Nigel Dean, Producer Spanish Football has replied to say the special will first air on Sat June 23rd at midday (BST) on Sky Sports 1.

Also, there is a video of David Beckham's post match comments on the Real Madrid site.

Update - David Beckham remained inside the Gymn at Real Madrid today, let's all pray his recovery is going well and that he is on track to play on Sunday.

Additional match photos in the gallery.

David Beckham spoke with The Sun and said -

Someone up there is definitely watching over us because a lot of luck has gone our way in the past few weeks

You need that bit of fortune but we deserve it as we have worked so hard for it.

But we're not going to get carried away because we know it's not over yet. We have to win one more time on Sunday, that's all that matters.

We haven't won the title yet but we've put ourselves in a great position.

Beckham added: I really want to be involved next Sunday and though my ankle is painful at the moment, I've got a week to get over it.

Let's all hope Becks is healing well and send lots of positive thoughts and energy his way!

David Beckham Highlights clip

I seem to have had a blonde moment as I thought I had put this clip on the site yesterday (I loaded it 10 hours ago) but I have just looked at the site and it's not there (cue the music from the twilight zone). It's a mystery - so I will try again! Here are some highlights of David Beckham playing in the game against Zaragoza -

Becks attends Gaz's Stag Party - Thanks to Yaohan_bu for the heads up! The Mirror reports that David beckham attended the Madrid leg of Gary Neville's four day stag do! Story here.

Vote for Becks - Also thanks to another fan for sharing a link to a poll that is being run on both AS and El Pais where you can vote for the best players of la liga. Please vote for David Beckham as best mid-fielder (centrocampista) Vote here

Capello Interview - Fabio Capello was interviewed by AS Diario (translation of comments at realmadrid.com) here's an excerpt -

What a shame that Beckham is leaving.
Capello: It is a pity. He's another player that has regained his physical and psychological prowess after being really bothered about not being called by his national team. Playing for their national teams is very important to players, and even more so for the English.

You were wrong about Beckham?
Capello: We were all wrong. We all made the decision in the sporting area, and it's mostly my fault. Truthfully, we made a mistake with him.

Not just that, but Beckham has responded incredibly.
Capello: Very well. He's a great player. He's playing now like he used to with Manchester.

What would you do to keep him?
Capello: He would be a very important player for Madrid. I would be happy if the Club told me Beckham was staying.

Perhaps it is too little too late but it is still nice to see Capello admit he made a mistake and for David Beckham to receive the credit he is due.

Real Madrid President, Ramon Calderon, has told Marca, and the story has been picked up by Sky Sport and The BBC, that a clause in the contract that David Beckham has signed with the LA Galaxy allows for Real Madrid to make a bid for Becks to stay and they intend to try and convince him to remain at the club. Calderon said "We want to fight for him, David has demonstrated that he is a superstar with pride in the white shirt."

Of course one can't help but wonder, knowing the politics that Calderon is capable of, if this is a media stunt to appease the Real Madrid fans and convey an impression that every effort was made by the club to keep Becks. As a chain of events are now in motion which are most probably irreversible. However, even if that is the case, it is a testament to David Beckham that Real Madrid know they have made a mistake and that he is held in such high regard by the club's supporters. Story here.

As this story is being picked up by every media outlet in the world as I type - I expect we will hear a statement from David Beckham's spokesman before long.

Update - As expected a response from David Beckham's spokesman has been issued, reconfirming his committment to joining the LA Galaxy statement here.

Update - You can view some highlights including a brief glimpse of a happy Becks at El Pais. I hope to have longer highlights later today.



First of the photos are in the gallery

Real Madrid remain La Liga leaders and the top of the table remains unchanged in the penultimate week of the the title race with Real madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla all drawing their respective matches. With one match remaining, at home to Mallorca, the dream is alive and Real Madrid's title bid is still in their own hands! David Beckham might yet have the perfect farewell and leave Madrid by way of Cibeles! The official Real Madrid match report in english is online. Other match reports are available at Goal.com and ESPN. There is also a good write up at The Times Online

David Beckham had a good game, he played the full 90 minutes despite carrying an injury and he put two superb crosses into the box that were narrowly headed wide by Sergio and Diarra. He took another knock to his already sprained left ankle during the match. It was obvious he was in tremendous pain but he kept going which took a lot of courage and determination. He will now have an opportunity for a rest and his fitness will be monitored to see if he can play next Sunday. Fabio Capello told the post-match press conference that he thought David Beckham would be ready for the game against Mallorca. Real Madrid injury report online here. Let's hope he feels better soon.

Update - Zinedine Zidane has told Marca he would like to see Real Madrid lift the title, saying "I would like that to happen for the club, that is clear, for the players, but above all for David Beckham... After four years in Madrid, he deserves to leave with a trophy... I am delighted to have played alongside Beckham in the same team." It is a great tribute that will mean a lot to Becks and let's hope that Zidane's good wishes are a good luck charm! More here. Thanks Ben for the heads-up.

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Photos of David Beckham arriving with the team in Zaragoza are in the gallery.

AS.com reports that David Beckham has continued to recover well. The medical treatment (compression bandage and provision of antiinflammatory) and the physiotherapy (massage and work in swimming pool) have caused that the swelling that was obvious Thursday, is now practically imperceptible. Also in AS Diario Tomas Roncero pays a wonderful tribute to David Beckham. Praising his courage, indomitable spirit, loyalty and hailing him as Real Madrid's very own Braveheart. Very fitting words that are well deserved.

Becks spoke with Sky Sports news ahead of tonights match and said -

"Zaragoza is a tough team to play against, they have a goalkeeper who used to play here, Cesar, and he is a very good goalkeeper but it is not just him... we will come up against other players in their team who can hurt us so it is going to be a very difficult game and a very important weekend this weekend."

"I think the bigger the game the better, for us, for me."

"I enjoy the big occasions, playing important games, but you can only enjoy it if you win games and play well, so hopefully that will happen this weekend."

Hopefully it will! I think we are going to have to have a couple more cheerleaders on the strength of that. Go Becks

David Beckham featured in Marca's review of the sports week, here is a tiny clip of him collecting his medicene from the Real Madrid medical center -

In other news, The England players have decided to donate all their wages for playing for the national team to charity for the next three years. Full story here. Good on you boys!

Steve Bruce, David Beckham's first captain at Manchester United has paid tribute to Becks and wished him well for tonight's match, you can read his full comments online. Here's an excerpt -

“After all he has been through, I’d love to see him top off the week now with Real winning La Liga.”

“I’ve known him since he was a kid at Old Trafford and still keep in touch with him."

“The lad is pure quality — always has been and always will be. He was different class against Estonia on Wednesday and just showed everyone what England have been missing without him."

David Beckham is expected to start for Real Madrid against Zaragoza at La Romareda tomorrow night. The notes accompanying the squad list for the game say that 'David Beckham has recovered well from his sprain in the last 24 hours'. Becks told Marca this morning, "I will play." He also spoke with AS.com reporters when leaving Valdebebas and indicated that he will start in Zaragoza. The Times also reports that he will play.

His comments were confirmed by Fabio Capello who told the pre-match press conference

Q: How's Beckham?
A: He only jogged and didn't do any technical exercises [at training]. He says the sprain hurts a bit but that he will be fine to play tomorrow because he nevertheless feels OK.

Q: Did you watch Beckham's England games this week?
A: I think he played as well as he is currently playing here. He was very important in those fixtures; his cross for the second goal was extraordinary

You can read a match preview at Goal.com and at Reuters. It will be a tough match and victory is critical as the title race looks set to go to the final day. Although, a victory for Real Madrid if accompanied by a loss for Barcelona who face Espanyol and a loss or draw for Sevilla who face Mallorca, would see Real Madrid take the title tomorrow night. Here's wishing Becks and the boys the very best of luck! Hala Madrid and Go Becks!!

Finally, The Guardian have a poll asking if David Beckham can maintain his form from LA? You can go here to give Becks your support.

Update - Exciting news! Becks is healing well and attended Real Madrid training although he trained separately, hopefully this is a very good sign report here.

In New Zealand we say "kia kaha" to give encouragement it means "stay strong". I have made a clip with this theme, ahead of this weekend's battle at La Romareda, where Real Madrid will play Zaragoza in a tough and crucial match.

David Beckham, is a doubt for the game but The Sun suggest he is likely to play. AS Diario reports that Becks told reporters when leaving Valdebebas yesterday with a box of anti-inflammatories and with his ankle in a compression bandage, that he was in pain but hoped to recover and that he assured them he would play. I don't know how accurate any of these reports are and I just hope Becks is recovering well! Sid Lowe said in The Independent that despite his injury David Beckham was all smiles yesterday, so that's nice to hear, full story. Team-mate Emerson echoed Ruud Van Nistelrooy when he told Punto Radio, "Because of his character, I am sure he will play."

I wish Becks and his team mates the very best of luck. May they find the strength and courage they need. This clip may not make a lot of sense to some of you as it uses a New Zealand theme and a chant that my countries sports teams perform before games but it is one kiwi fans way of saying good luck, be well and Hala Madrid :)

More England Reaction

There have been some lovely tributes paid to David Beckham over the last day by both team-mates who have offerred him their support and the english press. Here are a few -

England team-mate Frank Lampard told The Times that “There has been none of the ‘I’m the big hero returning’ from David.” He also told The Sun - "If David was playing in the park with his mates, I’d still have him in the England squad. When he delivers balls the way he does, they make goals — and that is vital.”

Steve McClaren said in the same article “What he can produce on the field is where he answers his critics, where he answers everybody. His last two performances have certainly done that.” Read the full article and comments online here.

Steven Gerrard has told The Telegraph that Becks is still the key man for England saying,"We want Becks at Euro 2008... I am sure if he keeps playing at the level he is now, whichever club he is at, Real Madrid or LA Galaxy, I don't see why he can't be at Euro 2008. He has proved over these last two games he can go to Euro 2008.''

Peter Crouch hailed Becks saying, It is fantastic for me that David Beckham is back... As soon as I heard of his recall I was pleased because I know he has got a fantastic delivery of the ball... He is probably the best in the world at crossing the ball... For me, personally I know if I get into the box and find a bit of space, invariably Becks will find my head. You can read more of his comments here.

There is an interesting article in The Independent that is worth a read, 'Power shift has Beckham calling all the shots in new world order' it provides an interesting perspective on David Beckham's future involvement with England. On that topic The Sun has an article about the travel involved here and Reuters have comments from the LA Galaxy who have said they will fully support David Beckham's continued inovolvement with his national team, which is good to hear.

As many of you know David Beckham sustained a knock during yesterday's Estonia 0 - 3 England match which affected his left ankle.

He has now checked in with the doctors at Real Madrid and it has been confirmed that he has a left ankle internal ligament sprain. Unfortunately this puts him in doubt for Saturday's game away to Zaragoza. He will have complete rest over the next 48 hours and he will receive medical treatment and physiotherapy. During this time his progress will be monitored. He will travel with the team according to Marca and a final decision on whether he can play will be made on Saturday. The training and medical report in english is online. Here's hoping Becks gets well soon. Please say a prayer for his speedy recovery.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy spoke with the press earlier and backed Becks to recover in time saying, "I hope he gets better. David wants to play the last two matches that he has left with Real Madrid, and I know he will with that mindset. All footballers want to play for their respective national teams, and it's a part of football that can result in injury. Beckham has been very important for us down the home stretch and he wants to leave here with a title. It would be a dream come true for all of us."

David Beckham's magnificent performance for England last night has bought universal praise and acclaim. Journalists through out England are running out of superlatives to use. As fans we know that Becks has had his ups and downs but this is one huge "up" so let's enjoy it! Here are just a few links, there are far too many wonderful things being written about David Beckham today for me to do more than scratch the surface, so you might like to just check google news and *read and smile* There's lots of coverage in The Sun and also Sports Illustrated and in The Mirror. There's also a nice article in The Telegraph - "Beckham proves crucial cog."

More of what Becks had to say

David Beckham, when asked whether he would play at next years European Championships, said, "I will definitely be there... I believe I can carry on for a long time at this level. I know the Galaxy will do everything possible to help me play for my country and I believe I can play for many, many years - the longer the better." You can read more of his comments in The Guardian.

What Steve McClaren and Joe Cole had to say

Steve McClaren hailed David Beckham's performance for England as "immense" and said "That's why he's in the squad, that's why he's in the team. David Beckham is a very, very good player and he deserves to be in our team." read his full comments and more reaction at Reuters

Joe Cole descibed Becks as "brilliant and said "Becks has come back, he was brilliant the other night and he was brilliant tonight. You know what you’re going to get from him – the delivery was spot on. He just made the runs, and if he can keep doing that for us, we’ll be delighted." Source

Video Clips

The teams walking on to the pitch ahead of the match - watch

A tiny snippet of Becks and the boys singing God Save The Queen - watch

All the goals and David Beckham's two brilliant assists - watch

For anyone having trouble viewing The BBC and Sky Sports interviews through the links below here they are -

David Beckham gave a man of the match performance in Tallinn to inspire England's 3-0 win over Estonia. Becks provided two brilliant assists for Peter Crouch and Michael Owen and received a standing ovation from the England fans when he came off in the 68th minute. You can read The BBC match report here and The FA match report online here. The first of the photos are in the gallery.

David Beckham post match interviews

You can view David Beckham's interview with The BBC here and watch his interview with Sky sports here. Also here are some quotes from Sky sports, -

"I think I've enjoyed the two weeks we have been together. It has been nice to be back with the lads, there is a great atmosphere in the team and the game against Brazil set us up for this game. We didn't win the game, but we performed well and played good football and the shape looked great."

"We were set up for this tonight and I think we have done the job and enjoyed the game."

"We have scored some goals, played some good football and I think confidence is coming back."

Beckham feels he will be fit for Madrid's clash with Real Zaragoza on Saturday. "I have got a big game on Saturday but I was only thinking about tonight," he said. "Now my head is on Saturday. "I twisted my ankle and it was painful, but I should be fine."

Beckham will head to LA Galaxy at the end of the season in Spain and there is some doubt over his position with England, but he is hopeful Steve McClaren will keep him in the fold. "I would love to be in the next squad," he added. "Steve has made it clear that if I am performing and playing as I have been then I will be in the squad."

"There is always pressure, but I will always want to play for my country."

"I have enjoyed the last couple of weeks and we will see what happens."

You can read more comments from David Beckham in The Independent

Photos of David Beckham in Tallinn in the gallery

Croatia coach, Slavan Bilic, has told the media that he is concerned the return of David Beckham to the England team will increase their chances of qualifying, he said -

"I would like him [Beckham] not to play for England because with him it is not the same team.

"I love him as a player and Steve McClaren is a great manager for bringing him back."

"Despite all the money and all the glory that he [Beckham] has had you can still see in his eyes he is really crazy about football, that he is giving 100 per cent and in training and every exercise and every game. He is a big big asset, of course."

Terry on Becks

John Terry told the media at a press conference last night in Tallinn that he thinks David Beckham and Michael Owen can inspire the side, full comments here -

“With Becks back, his delivery is second to none and Michael has got his full sharpness back.”

He added: Becks doesn’t want to be the centre of attention, he wants to play for England.

He wants to get that shirt back on — that’s all he wants to do.

When he sat around the table at lunch he said how nervous he was and when you hear that from a man who has achieved what he has it is a breath of fresh air.

He is desperate to come in and get the shirt and keep hold of it, not just for his 100th cap but many more than that.

England - Estonia Preview

Today England will play Estonia in a critical match which they must win to keep their Euro 2008 qualification chances alive. Here is a match preview from Reuters and also The Telegraph

Estonia Goal Keeper Poom has singled David beckham out as England's danger man he said "We all know about David's quality on set pieces and crosses and we saw that on Friday." He also paid tribute to Becks determination in winning a recall saying, "He's a great example to young players and to older players that you should never give up, not in life, not in football," Poom said. "He's always been driven and determined, and whenever I've seen him play he gives his all and even more for England. "In a difficult situation, you need your experienced players and your leaders back on the pitch." Read the full story and comments from the Estonian coach online here.

Here's hoping Becks has a great game and England take the three points. Go England! Go Becks!

Update - Ok the technology works! Let's get caught up - photos of Becks arriving at the team hotel in Tallinn in the gallery back with an update soon.



David Beckham might have felt a pang or two of nostalgia yesterday as he trained with the England team at Manchester United's training ground, Carrington. I'm sure it bought back a fond memory or three :) There are a few photos of David Beckham leaving The Lowry hotel in Manchester to head to training in the gallery.

After the training session Steven Gerrard spoke with the press and said

"I'd be a liar if I said I didn't have a little smile when I saw his name back in the squad."

"I welcomed him back because I felt he was still a top player. He's hit a great spell at Real Madrid, you watch him and think he's still good enough to play for England. I don't think it changes my game. He's got his strengths and I've got mine. I've enjoyed getting a run back in the middle and hopefully David will continue to play well on the right and I'll stay in the middle!''

David Beckham and the England squad will head to Tallinn tomorrow ahead of Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia. It is a critical, must win match if England's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008 are to remain on track. For more on this there is a good article in The Times.

Lampard backs Becks

(Source) - Frank Lampard joined the chorus singing David beckham's praises and told the media

There was also a nice balance. It looked good across the midfield and I think David gives us that. He is very disciplined on the right and was supplying good balls from the right-hand side. It is nice to play in a team with players of quality that can deliver a ball like he did for the goal.

He is the best set-piece taker in the world. Simple as that. He can deliver them for Real Madrid and England time and time again. That's what he can do. When he puts balls in like that, and you've got people like John Terry, it is going to produce goals.

Here are some links to clips from the game on You tube if you haven't already checked them out -

In the Tunnel before coming out - watch

The walk out also shows the Beckham family looking on - watch

Highlights first half, french commentary - watch

Highlights second half, french commentary - watch

Alan Shearer, former England captain and current BBC pundit has backed David Beckham to be involved in all of England's Euro 2008 qualifying matches, full story here. Gary Lineker, also believes that Becks should continue in the squad, story here. It is good to see that the attitude to David Beckham's long term involvement is changing as we all know how much playing for England means to Becks. We also know that there is no better option for England on the right!

Finally, I've added a few Photos of David Beckham from his last match and the last months training sessions with Real Madrid to the gallery for anyone who was in withdrawal, a big thanks to Siniestrototal for sharing them :)

I've added another 50 photos from the match to the gallery.

(Source) Here are more post-match comments from David Beckham via AFP.

"Will playing in America have an adverse effect on my England chances? I hope not. Physically I will be fine. I will still be as good as I am today. That is not going to be a problem."

"Travelling is not going to be a problem because I will travel from anywhere to play for my country so we will see. I haven't worked out schedules but I am sure it can be done nearer the time."

"Everyone at LA Galaxy knows that I want to play for my country and I am sure they will do everything possible to make it possible for me to play for my country."

Beckham received a hero's welcome from the 88,000 crowd when he returned against the Brazilians who only denied England victory with an injury-time goal from substitute Diego.

The former Manchester United star said: "It was very emotional. To have a response like that was incredible."

"It was definitely much more than I ever expected but it has been nice to have had the support of the public and the fans throughout my career."

"Friday night was amazing for me, not just for myself but the family as well and nothing will ever take away the pride I feel when I put on that England shirt."

Beckham added: "Did I think I would come back with England? I am a positive person so I always believed I would get another chance but there was a doubt in my mind."

"Now I hope I am here for the duration but I have always felt throughout my career that I've had to fight for my place and that's what I will do - and will carry on doing."

"I am going to take each game as it comes."

David Beckham also commented on rumors and contradictory comments circulating about a possible off-season loan deal saying, "that's never going to happen",(Source). So that clears that up.

More photos from the match are in the gallery. Also you can watch a video of players like Steven Gerrard praising Becks after the game here.



The FA have posted the following comments from a very happy Becks -

“I think everyone of us enjoyed it. I'm not sure if I knew I'd ever get this moment again but it was such an historical night for all of England and it was great to be out there.

“It is always nice to have the support of the fans and I have had that throughout my career. It was amazing out there for me.

“Things are in the past now and I am happy to have been part of this historic occasion.

“It was good to be back in the England squad and it was nice to be with the team and just be part of the set-up again. We practised the set pieces a lot during the week and Steve put me on them so I was happy.

“It is going to be different for us playing against Estonia on Wednesday but we need a similar kind of performance and we need the three points which is the most important thing.”

Beckham reveals a call of nature forced him to come out last for England at the start of the game, but he has been happy to let the other players take all the attention in the build-up to the Brazil game this week.

Beckham added: “I didn’t deliberately go to the back of the line-up when we walked out. I was in the toilet so that was the reason I was at the back. It was nothing on purpose.

“When I have been in the squad for the last ten-years I have been captain for six of them so I have to do press conferences and different things. It has been good this week and I have enjoyed it.

“I have always felt I have had to play for my place and I have always done that in every team I have played for.

“It is just nice to be back and I have not looked at what has happened in the past games. They are a great bunch of lads who have a great spirit. I’m sure we will be alright.”

Pick of the Press

Here are some of the many complimentary articles about David beckham and his return to the national team -

How McClaren's men rated
Source: The Sun - David Beckham received the higest rating of any player!

Beckham is tops for Skipper JT
Source: The Sun

Beckham finds perfect delivery
Source: The Telegraph

Beckham makes stylish comeback
Source: Reuters

David Beckham returns to form
Source: The Guardian

Beckham steps from circus to provide England's sole threat
Source: The Independent He also received the higheste rating of any player by The Independent.

BBC Pundits on England v Brazil
Source: the BBC The pundits are full of praise!

Familiar script on new stage for arch-fantasist
Source: The Times

Finally, a cute story - Marca's cover today announces that they have made a bet with Cicinho and Emerson that when Real Madrid win the league the players will assume David Beckham's last two hair-do's with Cicinho going for the shaved style and Emerson the platinum blonde. Emerson will scare small children, but it's a small price to pay for winning the league! :)

The first of the photos are in the gallery.

You can watch video highlights on the BBC site including Becks assist for England's goal. You can click here or if that doesn't work for you go the sports section and select the video titled 'Report:England held by Brazil' Also here is the goal on it's own in slo-mo

Steve McClaren hailed David Beckham as the best right-sided midfielder in the world and John Terry said "David was different class today, his delivery is superb. It was a great ball from Becks and it was about time I scored again" you can read their post match comments here and watch their interviews here.

David Beckham had the perfect return to the England team tonight. He strode out in the number seven shirt to a rapturous reception at the new Wembley for the friendly against Brazil. He narrowly missed scoring a goal from a free kick in the first half with the ball going agonisingly wide and was central to England's most dangerous attacks. In the second half he set up England's goal with a perfectly weighted cross to the far post from a set piece, that was headed home by John Terry. He was substituted shortly after and received thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the Wembley crowd, thrilled to have him back! Brazil equalised in extra time and the final score was England 1 - 1 Brazil. The official match report is now online at TheFA.com You can also read the Reuters report here, as well as UEFA

The BBC has a player rater on their site where you can rate the players so head over and give Becks a 10 he deserves it! Click here.

David Beckham is this months UEFA Magazine cover story! It is an excellent piece you can read it online here.

Brazilians show respect for David Beckham

The manager of the Brazil national team as well as several members of the squad have spoken to the press ahead of tonight's friendly against England at Wembley and have singled David Beckham out for praise.

Brazil boss Dunga told The Sun - "England are among the best teams in the world and a player like Beckham makes them better...I'm not surprised Beckham has been recalled because he's a great player and is doing well for Real Madrid; it's only normal that a coach should bring good players into his squad."

Gilberto said - "I was surprised when he was not in the squad. It's difficult to know why he was dropped. England changed their manager and a new one came in with new ideas... He is a very good professional. I never read anything about him complaining. He just kept quiet, worked and waited for his chance...He is a top-class player, everyone knows that. They have brought him back for his quality and he adds a lot of things to the team. He is like a leader of the side." More of his comments can be viewed here.

Robinho told AS - "Beckham is an incredible player. We’re really going to miss him, especially after this great run he’s had the second half of the season. It’s a shame to see him leave Madrid. He’s got many more years of good football left in him"

Ronaldinho told the Daily Star - "Beckham deserves his return to the England team because he has been playing so well for Real Madrid"

In other news, there is a very touching story in The Bolton Evening News about Becks making an ill fans dream come true and The Sky Sports match preview is now online more on the match follows in the post below.