Update - You should be able to listen to the LA Galaxy v Wellington Phoenix match live via this radio station just click here at game time :)


Above is a nice interview that David Beckham filmed earlier today. The balloon they give to Becks at the end read "From Willie and Ollie, we love you David, thanks for coming." After the camera was turned off Becks thanked all six crew who filmed the interview personally, shaking hands and signing autographs.

20,000 watch Becks train!

I've just gotten back from the LA Galaxy practice (rock concert!) which was held this morning at Westpac Stadium in Wellington! It was great fun! There were thousands of children gathered and they chanted "David Beckham", performed mexican waves and sang along to the pop music pumping out of the stadium sound system. Becks spoke to the crowd and said "Thank you to all the children and all the schools, because this is incredible." More details are here and there are photos in the gallery, along with photos of Becks being presented with a greenstone necklace during half-time of tonight's A League match.

Last night in Wellington Becks and a few of the team dined out at Monsoon Poon, more details here. You will also find lots of related Becks videos on the TVNZ site!

Today, after practice, Becks was the guest of Lord of the Rings Director, Peter Jackson, at his Wellington studio which is in a beautiful location so hopefully they had a nice relaxing afternoon.

In other news, the LA Galaxy will play in a Pan-Pacific tournament in Hawaii scheduled for February, more details here. Thanks to Lulu for the heads up!

Match details - The LA Galaxy v Wellington Phoenix match will kick off at 7.15pm local time Dec 1. This translates to Friday Nov 30 at 10.15 US Pacific Time. The match will be televised live on TV in New Zealand and the TV station will make the match available online to all countries immediately after the match on the tvnz site.

David Beckham arrived in Wellington New Zealand at 1.30PM local time. He received a very warm welcome! The airport was packed with well-wishers. The LA Galaxy were officially welcomed by Wellington's mayor and a traditional Maori Powhiri was performed. The welcome lasted about an hour (a couple of the speeches were a little long!) and the LA Galaxy sang a chorus of "Ole Ole Ole" in response to the welcome which was a really nice touch!

Becks was warm and gracious signing lots of autographs for fans. There are a few photos in the gallery and a clip below





David Beckham gave a press conference shortly after arriving. There are some highlights from it in the youtube clip above. You can listen to the full audio clip (12 mins) of Becks comments here or you can watch the entire press conference (30 mins) here

David Beckham's itinerary in Wellington, where he is staying at the Copthorne Hotel on Oriental Parade, is as follows

Friday

11am – Two-hour open training session at Westpac Stadium, more than 15,000 schoolchildren are expected to attend.

7.30pm – Galaxy team introduced to the public at halftime of the Wellington Phoenix v Adelaide United A-League game at Westpac Stadium. Team will be presented with pounamu necklaces.

Saturday

7.05pm – Royal New Zealand Air Force low-level flyover of Westpac Stadium.

7.15pm – The exhibition match kicks off amidst a giant fireworks display.

11.30pm – Exclusive VIP after-match party starts at the World Trade Center in Ghuznee St.

Sunday

Not yet confirmed but likely to include a walk around Wellington's streets by Beckham and his Galaxy teammates.

Monday

4.30pm – Team leaves Wellington airport to return to the United States.

Becks blog update

Hello from Australia,

I’m really happy to have finally made it over - the people have been amazing and I’ve been made to feel really welcome. I’ve always wanted to visit Australia as well as New Zealand, which I’m off to on Thursday, so it’s a great feeling to be here.
I’m writing this to you the day after our game against Sydney FC. It was disappointing to lose the match even though it was a friendly, as I always want to win, but I was pleased to play the full game and of course, score a goal. I practice free kicks enough, so it’s always a great feeling when they go in.

The atmosphere in the Telstra Stadium was amazing and it was a really entertaining match for the 80,000 fans. We really enjoyed playing, despite the result, and now look forward to the game against Wellington Phoenix on Saturday.

I was a bit worried when I went over on my ankle. I thought it might be the same injury I’d had for Real Madrid on the last day of the season, but I managed to play on and finish the game ok, so thankfully it wasn’t that bad.

This Thursday is also the 2nd anniversary of The David Beckham Academy in the UK. I went along to the Academy last week, and you’ll be able to see my video footage of the day on davidbeckham.com later this week. But as I’m in Australia at the moment I can’t be there on Thursday, so I would just like to say thanks to all the coaches and staff for their hard work over the past two years and also a big thank you to all the children that have visited and enjoyed the Academy.

That’s all for now. I’ll let you know how New Zealand goes.

David

David Beckham Channel 10 Interview 2

Here is part 2 of the Channel 10 interview I posted yesterday. There are still some sound issues. If you would like to download and watch the full show, the torrent is online here.

Update - Becks spent his last night in Sydney at Hemmesphere, story here.

Above is the first part of the interview with David Beckham that aired on Channel 10 prior to the LA Galaxy v Sydney FC friendly. Apologies for the quality. There is some glitch with the sound. I will post the rest of the interview when I have sorted the audio out.

More Beckham Mania

David Beckham made a couple of promotional appearances in Sydney earlier today to the delight of his many fans! There are photos in the gallery, thanks to Sara! Here is a cute clip of Becks discussing fish and chips as well as nick-names at the launch of his Instinct fragrance at Myers and at a launch for Motorola.

Match highlights

Here's a good highlights reel from the game that includes David Beckham's side line interview.



Here's a clip of various TV channel's coverage of David Beckham's post-match press conference and more match highlights from Tuesday night's game -



David Beckham and the LA Galaxy will arrive in New Zealand - the land of the long white cloud and the fluffy white sheep, later today (US time)

David Beckham scored a spectacular goal from a free kick during tonight's friendly between the LA Galaxy and Sydney FC. He received a huge reception from the crowd, who held their breath when he appeared injured and cheered when it seemed that he was in fact ok. Sydney won the match 5-3. Match summary. You can see some highlights and Becks goal online here in the video 'Beckham Bender not enough to save Galaxy.'

Thanks to Sara here are photos from the match.

(Source) After the match Becks gave a press conference and told the media he had been concerned that he had re-injured himself, "I was worried at first because I felt as if I'd twisted my ankle again and done the same thing, injury I had on the last game of the season with Real Madrid," he said.

"It wasn't as bad - it just caught under the guy that slid in. It's all part of the game. It's fine."

Asked why he refused to leave the field, Becks said: "I always try to stay on whether I'm injured or get kicked in games. It's part of the game and I'm quite a stubborn person and when I want to play and when I want to stay on there's not many people who can convince me to come off."

"I was happy to stay on the whole game. I wanted to play. So many fans turn out and they expect you to perform and to be out there for as much time as possible."

Becks also said he was relieved and pleased to score, "It was nice to obviously get a free kick ... it's my first time here so it was nice to score here... I think in that situation there’s always a certain amount of pressure on me to score because I think that people expect you to do it every time there’s a free kick given in that position."

I was also just really happy to score tonight just because of the amount of fans and the attention that there has been on myself and obviously on this game tonight.

---

New Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit admitted he considered subbing Becks saying, "He didn't have any injury, he had a knock, that can happen," Gullit explained.

"But it was tempting (to take him off). I had a lot of difficulties with my own substitutions - I didn't have many players here - so he couldn't be (replaced)."

"Also I had a feeling that he liked the game. It's an environment every player wants to play, 80,000 people."

"He knows also his responsibility to come here. He wanted to make that effort. He wants to win, he wants to perform."

Speaking of David Beckham's performance, the former Newcastle and Chelsea coach said, "I am happy with the effort of David. He played really well. He scored a marvellous goal, so the crowd got what it wanted. I am very happy with his performance."

There's a really cute clip of Becks "going walkabout" in Sydney earlier today to everyone's delight at MSN, the video is called 'Beckham enraptures Sydney'

David Beckham appeared on The BBC's Inside Sport last night, there is a 20 minute clip on the BBC site. If you have trouble with that link try this one and select the clip dated Nov 27

Here is the David Beckham interview that aired on TVNZ from yesterday for those of you who had trouble viewing it. Thanks to Sara for putting it on You Tube.

David Beckham has had a busy day in Sydney. There are photos of him training with the LA Galaxy, doing an Adidas promotion and attending the 'Foxtel is football' party this evening in the gallery.

You can read about his Adidas "kicking display" and also Becks comments on the 2010 World Cup qualifying draw online here and see a clip of him at training as well as at the Adidas event online here and here and another one here! There is also a good interview in the Herald Sun and a humorous write up of the days events in the Sydney Morning Herald.

I have also added a sub album of photos of David Beckham in China, filming the Happy Camp television show and attending a Motorola launch. I've added more pictures of Becks with the ballerinas and they must be amongst the cutest photos of him ever taken! The Happy Camp TV special that he will appear on is expected to air in China next month.

More from yesterday's press conference

Another quote has surfaced from yesterday's presser. Becks was asked "What was the best part of his career" and answered, "There's been many amazing parts to my career... I've been lucky enough to play for two of the biggest clubs in Europe in Manchester United and Real Madrid, won many trophies with both teams, been captain of and played 99 times for my country.

Defining the best moment? Possibly winning the treble with Manchester United and on a personal note scoring the goal against Greece to put us through to the World Cup finals."

(Source) David Beckham has arrived in Sydney and been whisked from his private jet to his Star City hotel. There are a few photos in the gallery. You can watch a video of him arriving online here and here.

He gave a press conference a short time ago, along with Ruud Gullit and Landon Donovan, You can watch an excerpt online here, there are also photos from the press conference and of Becks and the LA Galaxy team attending the Sydney FC v Queensland Roar game in the gallery.

On visiting Australia: "I'm very happy to be here. I've never been to this country before and it's somewhere I've wanted to visit for a long time... It took me 22 hours to get here but it's more than worth it."

On Tuesday's friendly: "We're here to perform - not just for ourselves, obviously for the new manager and obviously for the people that have paid the money to come and see the game... as much as it is a friendly, we've got to perform as a team and we've got to also perform as individuals to impress the manager, so we're really looking forward to that side of it."

On his fitness: Physically I'm good. I'm a lot better than I have been since I've joined the Galaxy. It's been very frustrating to not be on the field and playing. Now I'm back to almost fully fit. I played half the game the other night at Wembley (and), however disappointing it was, it was nice to be out there playing... I'm looking forward to the game on Tuesday. Physically I feel great and mentally I'm always good…I think."

On the next England Manager: "There's many managers out there who obviously will want the job. It might be a tough job - it might be a high pressure job to manage England - but any manager in football would love to manage our country and our players."

"Luckily enough I'm not in a position where I have to choose and pick the manager for our country because I think it's going to be a very tough decision. It's going to be a tough decision for whoever's going to make it at the FA but I'm not going to sit up here and name names because there are so many thrown in already."

"We'll just have to wait and see."

Update - At the press conference David Beckham was unfairly accused of snubbing some young fans, who he had not seen, on his way into his hotel. However because he is a kind-hearted man and he heard that the youngsters, who were cancer survivors, were disappointed, he arranged to meet with them to make amends at the Sydney FC v Queensland Roar match later that day. So all's well that ends well, full story here.

Other news

There is a video of Becks at yesterday's Motorola launch online here.

There is a great interview with Becks in The Telegraph It's a great read as Becks talks candidly about Manchester United, England, his work at his Academies and more.

(source) The media are reporting that David Beckham will train with Arsenal for four weeks during January. David Beckham has reportedly said, "My fitness will never be a problem either for LA Galaxy or England. I am coming back and training the whole of January at an English club." He did not name the club, however it is expected he will use the training facilities at Arsenal. Thanks to Loredana for the heads up.

David Beckham is on his way to Sydney, Australia. On his way he stopped in Beijing, China to help launch the Motorola RAZR V8, photos are in the gallery. He is expected to arrive in Sydney early Sunday Morning Australian time and the LA Galaxy will conduct a press conference at noon and a training session (media only) on Monday.

The LA Galaxy will play Sydney FC on Tuesday November 27 at 8.30PM in front of a sell-out 83,500 crowd at the Telstra Stadium.

The match will be televised live on Channel ten Australia and beamed live to viewers in North America, the Middle East, China, Malaysia, Japan and Singapore, while delayed coverage will be available in the UK. So check your local TV Guides. The match will also be available online and I'll post links on match day. As part of the pre-match build up an interview with David Beckham will also be aired on Channel ten at 8PM.

The team will be staying at the Star City Hotel and Casino complex and despite being offered the Royal Suite, Becks will, just like every other player, take a standard room with harbour views.

Richard Munro, Star City's general manager, hotel food and beverage, said Beckham had not come through with a list of requests, as is usually the case with the biggest names. "He doesn't want anything special, which is a real credit to a superstar like him." More details here.

Becks and the team are expected to take in the Sydney FC v Queensland Roar match Sunday night and attend a posh party hosted by Fox Television on Monday night at Cafe Sydney. Elton John is also expected to be a special guest.

Becks will also be at Sydney's Myer store at 11.30am on Wednesday to launch his new fragrance for men - David Beckham Instinct. There are more details of the itinerary, online here.

Becks blog update

Hi,

Well, I’m sure you know but unfortunately, England won’t be at Euro 2008. It’s very disappointing for everyone, the players and the fans, and the result hurts, but Croatia deserved their win on the night and I wish them well.

I would still like to play for England in future games. I said at the start of my career I'll always want to play for my country and I'd never retire from playing for my country, so I’d like to continue as long as possible.

I went along to The David Beckham Academy in Greenwich yesterday to help celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the London venue. I can’t believe it’s been two years already! So far we’ve had 40,000 children through the doors of the Academy, 23,000 of those free of charge via the Day Visit programme. It’s always amazing to go along and see the children really enjoying the sport I love, and yesterday was no exception. The year 4 and 5 children were having a great time learning new techniques and skills and of course enjoying how to work as part of a team. I’d also like to say how proud and thankful I am to the coaches and staff for all their hard work.

I was interviewed by Michael Parkinson last night for his final ever show, which airs on the 15th December. He’s a wonderful person and, sadly, it marks the end of an era for one of the UK’s most loved broadcasters. He’ll definitely be missed.



I’m writing this blog at the airport as I’m flying out to Australia today – stopping over in China along the way - to meet up with the Galaxy squad for an exhibition game in Sydney before we go on to New Zealand for another match. It’ll be good to see the team again and meet Ruud Gullit, the new Galaxy head coach. I have to catch my plane now, but I’ll let you know how the matches go.

Bye for now
David

Other News

There are some photos of David Beckham at the recording of the Parkinson show due to air Dec 15 in the gallery. The photos of Becks and Dame Edna (aka Barry Humphries) look hillarious I can't wait to see the show! According to The Sun we can look forward to seeing Becks boogie as well!

There is an interesting read in the Brisbane Times about the 'real' Becks and his relationship with the media.

Also here's a cute article about the England team going bowling last week, thanks to Maria.

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UPDATE - David Beckham taped an interview for the Parkinson show tonight. Becks told of his disappointment at England's football defeat against Croatia and received a huge cheer from the audience. Some of his comments from the interview are online here. The show will air Dec 15 on ITV1

Becks also taped an interview for The BBC's Inside Sport, you can watch an excerpt here or if that link doesn't work for you select the interview from this page, the full interview will air next Monday night on BBC1 at 11.20PM - here's an excellent article "David Beckham's passion is the blueprint by which to rebuild national game", that appears in The Times. which was written by the Inside sport presenter who interviewed Becks at his Academy.

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David Beckham celebrated the two year anniversary of the David Beckham Academy in London this morning with a special birthday cake and 120 school children from Kent. Photos are in the gallery.

Becks Sportsman of the year nominee

On a bright note and I think we all need some good news, David Beckham has been nominated for the 2007 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the year award which will be announced December 3. Details here. Congratulations Becks!

England Video Clip

Here is a clip (sorry about the quality) of Becks talking to Skysport and The BBC after the match -



The Sun reports that Steve McClaren was sacked by the FA shortly after the match and that the formal announcement will come later today. His dismissal should mean that Terry Venables will be out of a job too. David Beckham will be counting on the new England manager for his 100th cap. Fabio Capello has expressed an interest in the role. More on this here.

Match reports, commentaries and player ratings in the media are all giving David Beckham due credit for his creative and passionate contribution last night, here are a couple of good articles from The LA Times and The Daily Mail and a detailed analysis of his 'mileage' from the BBC -

Distance covered: 6400m in 45 minutes
David Beckham, showed like he did in the World Cup 2002 qualifier against Greece, that when the chips are down he is England's man.

He proved that in the second half against Croatia - although in this occasion there was no happy ending for the LA Galaxy player.

The 32-year-old covered more ground than the other players who played the second 45 minutes occupying a lot of the right-hand side and often occupying his favourite area 20 yards from the byline, hugging the touchline.

Also there is a 7 minute clip with all the goals available here.

A sad, sad result. Match report online here. David Beckham came off the bench for the second half and immediately lifted the team and crowd, providing a superb cross for England's second goal, which levelled the scores at 2- 2. However, with approximately 13 minutes remaining Croatia went ahead again, denying England the one point they needed from the game to qualify.

David Beckham was the last player for England to leave the pitch. Staying as always to salute the crowd. First of the photos are in the gallery. Becks wore the number 17 today because he came on as a super-sub and the starting line-up for Euro qualifiers must wear numbers 1 through 11, so the number 7 had to be given to a starter.

Becks spoke with the media after the game and said, We're disappointed as a team and obviously the nation will be disappointed about not qualifying, if you don't win games you don't qualify. We just didn't perform and that's the end of it." You can watch his interview online here. He shows tremendous class although obviously devastated, defending his team-mates and empathising with fans. You can also read more quotes at Skysport and watch Becks being interviewed on Sky here.

Pre-match

The England team to play Croatia: Carson, Richards, Bridge, Gerrard, Lescott, Campbell, Barry, Lampard, Crouch, Wright-Phillips, J Cole. Subs: Beckham, Hargreaves, A Cole, James, Brown, Defoe, Bent.

England must earn a draw in tonight's game to qualify for Euro 2008. The Match will kick off at 8pm BST which is mid-day US PT and 3PM US ET. The match will screen live on the BBC in the UK and on various cable channels around the world so check your local guide.

(Source) Teddy Sherringham, who has been a super-sub for England in the past, said, when told that David Beckham is not expected to start tonight's match for England, "For me, if you want real quality, pinpoint crosses which test defenders and give strikers a chance, then David Beckham is still your man... His delivery of the ball is still exquisite."

"He will have wanted to start [but] don't write him off, he may still have a part to play from the bench." Let's hope so!

Good Luck Becks and England!

UPDATE -Unfortunately, it seems Peter Crouch is to be denied. David Beckham is not expected to start the match against Croatia tomorrow night. He may play a role as an impact sub instead. The Times reports that Becks has had a back problem in the past couple of days and that England manager McClaren has decided he is not fit enough to be a starter. Let's hope he is back at 100% soon.

First of the photos of David beckham from England's training session this morning are in the gallery.

(Source) England striker Peter Crouch is expected to lead the England attack on his own against Croatia on Wednesday night and he has told reporters there is one man he needs to supply him with ammo and that man is David Beckham! Crouchy said, "Most of my goals come from crosses so David is exactly the kind of player I need."

"David Beckham is a fantastic player. If you have someone like that in the side, I know I just need to get in the box because if he can find half a yard, he is going to whip a cross in." The striker added, "he delivered the corner for me to score against Austria last Friday and it was thanks to him I scored in my last start prior to that, in Estonia. An early cross is perfect for me and David always provides that. He's the best there is."

(Source) The Croatian head scout, Vucevic, shares Crouch's view saying, "I watched England in Vienna and they didn’t show much development from when we beat them in Zagreb... the one thing we must do it stop Beckham. He can put the ball on [Peter] Crouch’s eyebrows and that can be dangerous."

LA Galaxy recruiting

(Source) The LA Galaxy have sent a third-round selection in January's Major League Soccer Draft to New York in exchange for Clint Mathis, a 30-year-old American mid-fielder, who began his pro career with Los Angeles in 1998.

Mathis was the leading scorer in franchise history for the Red Bulls, once known as the MetroStars, with 45 goals. He scored six goals in 29 games for New York this year.

(Source) ITV have confirmed that David Beckham will indeed appear on Parkinson on December 15th. The show will be the last show that Michael Parkinson will do with guests and it will feature some of Britain's biggest names including Dame Judi Dench, Rod stewart, Annie Lennox, Billy Connolly and of course the one and only David Beckham!

England v Croatia update

(Source) Steve McClaren has indicated that he hasn't made a decision as to what role David Beckham will play against Croatia. He said, "David needed that game [against Austria], he needed a run-out. It was good to have a look at him. What we've got to do now is look through that game again, especially the first half and assess the performance of the team."

McClaren also said that injured and suspended players including Michael Owen, John Terry, Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville will attend Wednesday's crucial match to cheer on their team-mates.

A very happy fan

You may recall that after the recent game between the LA galaxy and the Minnesota Thunder, Becks gave his jersey to a little girl in the crowd. Thanks to Diane here is a cute video about this.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

David Beckham: I won't retire

There are photos of David Beckham leaving Nobu restaurant in London last night in the gallery.

Becks spoke to The Sunday Mirror, prior to the outcome of the Israel v Russsia game last night and re-affirmed his committment to being available for his country as long as he is able to serve, he told them, "I want to play in the next World Cup. That is a big goal for me and an enormous challenge, I believe I can do it. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

"Contrary to some people's claims, I didn't leave European football too early, I am still playing well and at a good standard. That's why I'm optimistic I can play in the 2010 World Cup."

"I won't retire. I will always make myself available for my country. That hasn't changed. I would rather be stuck on 99 caps and England qualify, than win 100 caps and we don't make it."

The Independent has a good overview of MLS commissioner Don Garber's recent "state of MLS" address. Garber described Becks as "an absolute gentleman" and added, "Everything we asked David to do, he did." Of course some of us have our reservations about the wisdom and judgement inherent in some of things that David Beckham was asked to do, but that is another issue for another day.

11/17 - Israel defeated Russia 2-1 tonight to place qualification for Euro 2008 squarely back in England's hands. A draw against Croatia on Wednesday at fortress Wembley will see England through to next Summer's tournament in Austria and Switzerland. It will be an exciting match with everything to play for! Go England!!

Austria 0 - 1 England

England beat Austria 1-0. England's only goal and match winner was scored by Peter Crouch and assisted by David Beckham when Peter Crouch nodded home from a David Beckham corner shortly before half-time. Becks was substituted about 15 minutes into the second-half as he is still returning to full match fitness.

The BBC Match report said "Beckham, who came off for David Bentley in the second half, showed the 4,500 travelling support what they had been missing, conducting England's play from deep in midfield during his time on the pitch," you can read the full report here and a good write up on Becks performance online here thanks to Ben.

First of the photos of David Beckham from the match are in the gallery.

Press quotes

(Source) Here are some post-match comments from David Beckham -

On reaching 100 Caps for England: "Not getting to 100 caps is not preying on my mind at all. I am not thinking about that... All I am thinking about is the team qualifying for the competition next summer. These games are not about David Beckham reaching 100 caps."

"It is about the England team reaching the European finals and that is the most important thing, not achieving personal milestones... What is important, if we are given the chance, is we have to be ready for the Croatia game."

On the Croatia Game: "We can't make excuses. We have to be ready for Croatia and, if other teams slip up, we need to take advantage. But we will probably need to win the game whatever has happened elsewhere."

On his fitness: "For the the opening 10-15 minutes, it was tough going out there for me but I soon got a sort of a second wind... The good thing is that my injury worries are gone. I feel fine and raring to go. I've got a couple of games under my belt since I got back fit and some good training and it's going okay."

Becks blog update!

Hi everyone,

Well, it’s been quite a busy week for me.
The Galaxy played another friendly against Minnesota last week which we drew 1-1 but eventually won on penalties. It was a great game and I managed to get more minutes under my belt and build up my match fitness ahead of the England games.

I have been training with the England team this week. It is always good to be home and it’s been great to see all the England lads again and work hard for the friendly against Austria on Friday and of course, the important Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia next Wednesday. Obviously, we need results elsewhere to go our way before the Croatia game, but we’re confident that we can get the right result next Wednesday.

I’d also like to welcome Ruud Gullit to LA Galaxy as the new manager of the club. Ruud was one of the world’s greatest players, winning almost everything in the game and also managing some of the biggest clubs in England, including Chelsea. I’m sure he’ll bring class, experience and a tactical know-how to the club and I’m really looking forward to working with him, starting with the Galaxy’s tour to Australia and New Zealand later this month. I’m also really pleased that Cobi Jones has been made Ruud’s number two. He’s a great guy who knows the club and the league inside out and will make a great Assistant Coach.

That’s all for now

David

Update - First of the photos of David Beckham from the match against Austria are in the gallery. I have also added a couple of photos of Becks enjoying a boys night out after the LA Galaxy friendly in Vancouver to the gallery.



The FA have put a video of yesterday's England training session online here. I've added it to youtube for anyone having trouble viewing it.

(Source) Former England player Ray Wilkins has urged that David Beckham play in next week's match between England and Croatia saying -

"If he's fit I'd play David because he gives us outstanding quality. Young players have plenty to offer but when it comes to the nitty-gritty games like the Croatia match - and please God I hope we're still in it - then you need some know-how."

"Trust me, when we play the Croats we are going to need a bit of know-how. He's as important to England as Steven Gerrard or Michael Owen."

"We need to have him around. He can make sure the ball is put exactly where it needs to be."

"It's been forgotten what he did against Greece - it was forgotten too quickly."

"Before the free-kick that won the game, he took eight others and I don't think he hit the target. But he had the bottle to stand up and take the last one, which flew into the net."

"That match showed he's a man who will rise to the occasion and, absolutely, he could do that against Croatia."

Details of tomorrows starting-line-up which as expected includes David Beckham are online here.

David and Victoria Beckham on Parkinson?

It was rumored a couple of months ago that David Beckham had been invited to appear as a guest on Michael Parkinson's last ever show. There were then rumors that due to scheduling conflicts Becks would not appear but that Victoria and the Spice Girls might appear instead. The latest rumor is that the scheduling issues have been resolved and now "Michael Parkinson will interview David and then get Victoria and the Spice Girls on for a chat as well." According to The Telegraph. Let's hope this latest rumor translates into reality :)

Steven Gerrard welcomed David Beckham's return to the international fold this morning saying, "He's a fantastic player and a good friend of mine... I've played with him for a long time and it's good to see him back." Becks is expected to start for England this Friday against Austria. It will be his 98th cap!First of the photos of David Beckham training with England this morning are in the gallery.

Thanks to Ben here is a link to David Beckham's assist for Edson Buddle's goal during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Thunder.

Hatton: Becks 'a real class act'

The Sun reports that British boxer Ricky Hatton has invited David Beckham to attend his showdown at the MGM Hotel in Las Vegas on December 8. The Spice Girls are in concert in Las Vegas on the same night so Becks is going to be a busy man running between the two.

Hatton attended a LA Galaxy game with David Beckham recently and the two have remained in touch supporting each others training. Hatton said, "We went to a Galaxy match and he signed shirts and boots for me and my son Campbell. I'm impressed. He's so humble. He asked for my phone number and he keeps texting me."

"I'm always turning to my dad and saying look here's another message from Becks asking how the training's going."

"He is softly spoken, but a good laugh and a real class act... I can’t speak any higher of him. When you think how much he is in the public eye and to remain so humble proves he is a class act." More here.

The Times reports that Arsenal have offered David Beckham the chance to train with them, to help maintain his fitness during MLS's off-season. David Beckham recently told media that the LA Galaxy were fine with him training at another club. This is not a loan arrangement. There will be no contracts. He will not play any competitive football. This is purely a training arrangement and it still remains unconfirmed.

The new boots David Beckham will soon be sporting from Adidas are now available for pre-order. All the info is online here. Thanks to Ben!

David Beckham started in today's LA Galaxy friendly against the Minnesota Thunder. He assisted the first goal after 7 minutes, scored by Edson Buddle. Early in the second half the Minnesota Thunder equalised. The game remained at 1-1 at the end of regulation time and so the winner of the Copa Minnesota match was decided on penalty kicks. The Galaxy won 3-2. Congratulations to the team. There is a good write-up of all the details from the game both on and off the pitch, online here.

David Beckham told reporters, "It's been great. The reception I got in Vancouver was great, and tonight, there were a lot of people that turned out. I hope they were pleased."

He also took off his shirt and handed it to a little girl in the stands. He told the media, "She was waving at me since I came out so I decided to take it off and give it to her." Becks also signed autographs for kids on the sidelines before wrapping up his Minnesota debut.

First of the photos are in the gallery. Update - I've added a few more photos, thanks to Diane for helping with them. There is one of the little girl that Becks gave his jersey too after the game, beaming :)

There is a small clip with some highlights at WCCO and also at Kare11.

David Beckham for Armani

(Source) David Beckham has been signed for an advertising campaign for Emporio Armani underwear according to WWD. Becks shot the ad campaign in Los Angeles with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. The ads will break in fashion magazines worldwide beginning with the January issues! Now there's a reason to look forward to 2008 more than ever! Update - More details of the 20 million pound deal are online here.

England Itinerary

The England team will train together this Wednesday, November 14 at 10.30am, at London Colney. The session will be open to the public. For more on England's itinerary over the next ten days, click here.

update - Audio of the LA Galaxy v Minnesota Thunder game is available here.

HT Score: Galaxy lead 1-0 with a goal from Buddle assisted by David Beckham.

Update - David Beckham and the LA Galaxy have arrived in Minnesota ahead of tomorrow's game. Details and video online here and also here. Becks stopped and signed autographs for fans even though he wasn't expected too so that was nice!

The Telegraph has a good article in which Steve McClaren, England Manager, explains his visit to LA to see David Beckham and his decision to recall him into the England squad. Here are some quotes -

"I had read a couple of things about him not enjoying the life and the experience. I could not find that to be further from the truth. He is enthusiastic. He loves it. He's settled. The kids are at great schools. He's got a great lifestyle and, if you know Becks well, he likes proving people wrong."

"He's got a lot to prove over there and in fact he was disappointed being injured in his first season so he's looking forward"

"He can't be match fit, but we can get him match fit. I have said to him, 'We will see how you are, we can't guarantee you a place in the team or on the bench. How you do will depend how we go."

"He is training with his club. They had an exhibition match on Wednesday and they play on Sunday, so they are training for that and he is doing extra work. He knows he needs to be fitter, especially after the Germany game [he came back to play in the 2-1 defeat on August 22] so he is under no illusions."

"David is different in that these are big games and he is a big game player and when you are coming to play Croatia needing a result there is nothing better than having David Beckham available to you. He has proved that. He has done it before and he can do it again."

David Beckham lends a hand

David Beckham's autographed hand-print is available in a book of celebrity hand-prints, that is currently being sold to raise money for Children in Need and also the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. The hand-print was originally created in Madrid in 2005 and is available as a limited print and for the first time will also be available in a book from December 1st. All the details are online here. Click on the image at left to view a larger version.

There is a good article from The BBC with quotes from Ruud Gullit's first press conference as the new LA Galaxy coach. He was very supportive of David Beckham's continued international career. It was nice to hear a clear and positive message instead of vague, rambling comments about the "needs of the business." So far so good!

There is also a good write-up about some of the changes in culture that Gullit's arrival might signal, online here. My favorite quote from yesterday did not deal specifically with David Beckham or come from Ruud Gullit but it was hugely encouraging! LA Galaxy player, Mike Randolph spoke to reporters after practice and an initial brief meeting with Gullit and said, "He's definitely different than Frank... Frank was all about playing and having fun and getting your fitness playing. I think we're going to be doing a lot more running. I don't like to get fit that way, but oh well." Perhaps when Randolph and others experience the difference being really fit can make to their form they won't mind running so much :)

Correction: Apologies I posted earlier today that David Beckham had departed Vancouver for Minneapolis per captions on photos of Becks passing through Vancouver airport from flynet. However, Becks attended practice with the new LA Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit, who was officially presented in LA today, and posed for photos which are in the gallery. Cobi Jones, who retired as a LA Galaxy player this season, was also presented as assistant coach, which is good news as he will be able to help Ruud Gullit acclimatize to MLS's unique challenges.

England manager, Steve McClaren has named David Beckham in the England squad to face Austria in a friendly on Nov 16 and for England's final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Nov 21 at Wembley. McClaren told reporters, "He's an important player for England. He always has been over the years. I think he proved in his comeback in the summer against Brazil and Estonia he was one of our best players and unfortunately he got injured."

"I flew out and spoke to the medical people, and the injury is fine, his fitness is fine," McClaren said. "He hasn't played games, but he is included in the squad because I believe with the likes of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry out of the squad we're lacking experience and big game players. David Beckham is one of them." Congrats to Becks! The full squad list is online here.

Becks in Minnesota

David Beckham and the LA Galaxy team departed Vancouver yesterday and headed to Minneapolis ahead of their Copa Minnesota game against the Minnesota Thunder this Sunday. There are photos of Becks passing through Vancouver International airport, where he stopped for a spot of duty-free shopping and also signed autographs for some fans, in the gallery. The game will be held at the Metrodome and will kick-off at 5.30PM local time which is 6.30PM ET and 3.30PM PT.

(Source) Becks will attend a benefit party Saturday night at Temple in downtown Minneapolis, to help out two children's charities. Other LA Galaxy players will be there, too. Tickets can be purchased at www.metromag.com. (6-9 p.m. Sat., 1201 Harmon Pl., Mpls.)

Also, there is a good article on the new LA galaxy coach Ruud Gullit, online here, that provides more background on his experience as a Manager.

UPDATE - You can watch a video of the game and crowd online here. Requires Windows Media Player or Real Player.

The LA Galaxy have now confirmed that Ruud Gullit is the Galaxy's new coach. The Galaxy have scheduled a news conference at the Home Depot Center stadium on Friday to introduced the 45-year-old Dutchman. All the details from FIFA.com

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David Beckham received a rapturous reception from the crowd at BC Place tonight. The game ended in a nil all draw and you can read more about the game online here and here. First of the photos are in the gallery.

(Source) David Beckham spoke to the media after the game and said, "I was meant to play only half the game, but I felt stronger and stronger as the first half went on and wanted to play a little longer then, it was time for me to come off and give other players a chance to have a run around."

"Shame there weren't any goals. Hope (the fans) enjoyed it with the streaker and other things. It's unfortunate when there are draws like this. People want to see goals. But I think both teams canceled each other out tonight."

He was asked about his recall to the England team and said, "We'll have to wait and see. All I have to do is keep myself fit and put myself in the position to be selected for the national team and keep my fingers crossed that I will."

Becks also responded to comments made by Pele in an interview, claiming that American soccer fans were given the impression David Beckham would be a goal scorer, saying. "The Galaxy wouldn't have come out and said that, the Galaxy brought me in because I'm a football player. Everybody in the world knows I'm not a goal scorer. Everyone has their own opinion. Pele is a great player and a great ambassador for the game."

You can watch a video of David Beckham training at the stadium online here. You will need Windows Media Player or Real Player. There is also a nice article talking about how down to earth Becks is and comparing him to Wayne Gretzky, high praise from the Canadian Media eh!

New Coach?

It is being widely rumored, and reported in increasingly definite terms, that Ruud Gullit will be the new coach of the LA Galaxy. Confirmation from the club is expected tomorrow so not too long to wait. There is a good article on this in The Times

(Source) David Beckham gave a press conference in Vancouver today. You can watch the full press conference, which runs just over 17 minutes, online here. It requires Windows Media Player.

There are photos from the press conference and also today's practice in the gallery. Here's some quotes from the presser -

On dealing with fame: "It's something I deal with in the right way. I've been brought up in the right way by my parents. I've always been polite and treated people with the respect you should. It's something I enjoy. Of course, there are parts of it you don't (like). I'm not one to complain because I know I'm in an amazing position and a privileged position."

On celebrity and going out in public: "I thought about it in the past, wearing a disguise, but I thought it would be more embarrassing if I got noticed with a disguise than without."

"I'm honoured that people want to come up and take pictures with me. It's part of my life."

On injuries impacting his first season: "I arrived injured. I worked hard to get myself fit then got injured again. It's always frustrating for any sportsman when you can't do what you love doing. It's been frustrating for me because I've not been able to get on the field and continue to play week in and week out."

"With me, it's a long-term thing. I'm not just here for this season. My contract is for five years and I'm committed to that. I'm looking forward to playing here and being part of it."

On playing in Vancouver: "I think I can play at least 45 minutes, maybe more. I came through the game the other night and played more than I expected and was happy. I'm looking forward to the game . . . and enjoying playing here in Vancouver."

People pay a lot of money to come and see these exhibition games. It's important you still perform in these games. I still want to win tomorrow whether it's a friendly or whether it's not."

On MLS: "The MLS is a league that's got so much potential Everyone knows it's not at the level (soccer) is in Europe. That's what we want to achieve. I've seen the some of the talent in the MLS. I've seen some the games I've played in and how difficult they've been. There is potential there."

On who he would trade jerseys with after the game: "Who ever smells the best." (Great answer)

On playing soccer: He was asked what he gets out of the game, besides being paid a staggering salary and said: "I've never played soccer for the money. People say that's easy for you to say because you've got the money. To be honest, it's never been important to me. The game is important to me. I'd play for free." Laughter broke out when Lalas shook his head and said with a smile, "You could have told me that a couple of months ago."

On making a difference: Prior to Wednesday's game Beckham plans to present a local child, who is battling a terminal illness, with an autographed jersey.

When the Galaxy played in Toronto earlier this year - a game Beckham missed due to injury - he gave a signed jersey to a young woman battling cancer. She has since died.

"The girl in Toronto, I met her parents, her boyfriend, her family, I spoke to her on the phone a few weeks before (she died). I don't think she actually believed I was calling her at eight in the morning. It is just nice to able to do that. Just make them smile and give them that extra five or 10 minutes of happiness that they really want."

David and Victoria Beckham are involved in several children's charities.

"It's great to be in a position where you can help people," he said. "People talk about the financial side, the status side, the celebrity side. But there's nothing better than being able to make a difference."

On people saying he is more celeb than player: "I'm never insulted by it, I've had worse things said about me in my career and my life."

"It's also very rewarding when people do doubt you and you are able to come back and prove them wrong. I've been lucky enough to do that a few times in my career. I'm just hoping I can carry on doing that a few more times at least."

Last updated 11/6 at 6.30am - David Beckham has arrived in Vancouver, photos in the gallery. Becks has also updated his Blog you can read it here.


Here's a clip of David Beckham's appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Real Madrid invitation

It is being reported via Diario AS that Real Madrid have invited LA Galaxy to contest the Santiago Bernabeu friendly trophy. AS isn't always reliable. In fact they have reported that Real Madrid and LA Galaxy planned a match once before and they were mistaken, so I have been cautious about posting this news. However, it has been picked up by Skysports, The Telegraph and others now, so I'm including it but at this time it's just an invitation and a rumor, there is no match for December 5 confirmed by either club. I'll update this as soon as there is more news. Thanks to Laura for the heads up!

People's 2007 sexiest man alive

Becks is amongst the contenders for this years sexiest man alive title! Of course! You can check out People's top 100 sexy men and also vote for Becks in the sexiest eyes catergory, online here. Thanks to Notorious for sharing the People links.

More from yesterday's charity match

There are more post-match quotes from David Beckham in the following two articles: People have an article on yesterday's charity match that raised more than 100k for those affected by the southern California wildfires, here. and The Times has a good write-up online here. There is also a video on ITN. It features one of Becks goals.

Plus another 100 untagged photos of David Beckham from yesterday's game are in the gallery.

Other news

There is an interesting article online at ESPN about the kind of new coach the LA Galaxy are likely to recruit.

The association of football statisticians have released a list of the top 100 football players of all time based an analysis of statistics and David Beckham is in 44th position and only the second englishman on the list, you can view the full list here.

Finally, one last piece of good news! Wednesday's friendly exhibition game will also be televised by GOL TV. Here's the info, thanks to Ben! "The exhibition match between the Whitecaps and the Los Angeles Galaxy will kickoff at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on GOLTV, Canada's only 24-hour network dedicated exclusively to soccer. Lee Godfrey and former Whitecaps goalkeeper Paul Dolan will be providing the commentary for the broadcast. For more information, visit goltv.ca."

I hope those who could be there enjoyed themselves at a fun game for a good cause! There were lots of goals with the Galaxy winning 12-4. David Beckham started for the Galaxy and scored two goals in the first-half! The first goal from 25 yards out in open play in the tenth minute and the second from outside the box in the 32nd minute. He also had three assists in the second-half. All the details here. The first of the photos are in the gallery. There are also photos of Becks getting his coffee fix in his porsche ahead of the game and heading out to Mastro's for a romantic dinner with Victoria afterwards.

After the game, David Beckham spoke with reporters and said, "Steve McClaren was not here but I saw him. [on Saturday] It'sprobably the best I've felt in quite a few months now. It was important for me to get a good workout tonight. I've been working hard trying to get myself fit."He added, "I want to be involved in every game possible but I've got to get my fitness right, I can't put myself up for selection if I'm not 100 percent fit, or at least 90-95 percent fit. I need to get my fitness right and when it is right we will see. After tonight though, I feel great."

Talking about his move to MLS, Becks said, "I am loving it, it's been great so far, very positive and smooth... apart from the season. Next year I hope will be a lot different."

Galaxy coach resigns

(Source) The coach of the LA Galaxy, Frank Yallop, has resigned effective immediately. David Beckham told reporters, "Obviously, we're disappointed. We felt that he was the right man. We felt that he's a good manager and a strong character with the team. But, we've all said, he's not walking away. He's looking after himself and he's looking after his family. It's what we would all do. We're sad to see him leave and we wish him all the luck and all the best." Yallop is widely rumored to be making the move to the San Jose MLS expansion team, more here.

Picture credit: David Beckham meets super cute Oliver during his visit to the Scilly Isles, thanks to