Update - Happy New Year! David and Victoria Beckham welcomed 2008 in at a New Years Eve party at Claridges in London, photos in the gallery.



2007 certainly was a rollercoaster ride for David Beckham. You can review the year as it unfolded online here. Let's all hope that 2008 will be a happy and healthy year for Becks and his family!

Thanks to Sara for adding some more photos of the Beckham boys on stage at the Spice Girls concert and also of Becks in the Audience in Germany to the gallery.

Wishing you all a wonderful New Years Eve and a fabulous 2008. May all your dreams come true - Anna

The LA Daily News has named David Beckham as their LA sports person of the year for 2007. The newspaper said they paid him the tribute "because of his think-big spirit, the way he widened our view of sports, the commitment with which he took on both naysayers and unreasonable expectations." You can read the full story here. Congratulations Becks!

Arsene Wenger praises role-model Becks

(Source) Arsenal Manager, Arsene Wenger, has confirmed that David Beckham will definitely train at Arsenal's facilities at London Colney. He told reporters, "He will come in January to practise with us, occasionally with the first team or the reserves."

"He can always give good advice and we will help him to keep fit. The youngsters will look up to him, of course."

Wenger also told reporters that he hoped the training arrangement would be beneficial to his own young players. He praised Becks as a role model saying, "I respect the fact that he has always loved football and he has always shown respect for his managers even when he was dropped. He didn't come out in a silly way, a spoilt way."

"Also, he has always delivered when it was expected of him, he has shown toughness."

"When he had to score the free-kick in the last minute against Greece (in the crucial World Cup qualifier in October 2001) he put it in the net. It is a sign of mental strength."

"I had considered signing him in the past but he was at Manchester United for many years and it was always very difficult."

Thanks to Pru for the heads up!

Update Arsene Wenger has confirmed David Beckham's training arrangement with Arsenal and has said that Becks is a great role-model for Arsenal's youngsters, who could learn a lot from his mental strength. You can read his full comments, online here. Thanks to Pru for sharing the link.

David Beckham's Line of Enquiry that aired on BBC Radio 2 on Christmas day was a great show. For anyone that hasn't caught it yet, it will be available online on the Radio 2 site for 5 more days.

For fans who don't have english as a first language and might have had some difficulty understanding everything said, here is a rough draft of the transcript of the two hour show so that you can translate it more easily using google or babel fish. Apologies for any inaccuracies or typos - I'm working on corrections and should have a final draft up by the end of tomorrow :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying your holidays.

David Beckham was back in Madrid with Victoria for the Spice Girls concert there. He dined at one of his favorite restaurants, Asador Donostiarra, earlier today and took the time to pose with staff and fans. He picked up some of his favorite black leg spanish ham and a box of spanish wine to take back to England for Christmas! Photos are in the gallery.

Becks welcomes Capello

BBC Sport reports that David Beckham has welcomed Fabio Capello's appointment as England manager saying -

'Fabio is one of the managers players look up to and want to manage them. I hope I'll be part of his plans, I think he is going to be great for the players and the England team."

"Everyone wants someone leading you that has respect and success. Fabio definitely has that"

Becks said of his past relationship with Capello at Real Madrid, "There were ups and downs with me and the manager at the time but he brought me back into the team and he had the belief in me to put me back in the team... It gave me an amazing end and I was sad when he got the sack as I believe he had turned the club and the players around and given the fans what they deserved, a trophy."

"I think he is a great appointment for England. Everyone wants someone leading you that has respect and success. He has definitely got that in his career."



David Beckham made these comments on BBC Radio 2's Line of Enquiry which will be broadcast on Christmas Day! The show will air right after the Queen's message at 3.05pm British Standard Time (BST) which is 4.05pm CET - 7.05am US PT and 10.05am US ET - but double check your own timezone to be on the safe side!

You can read details of the show including some of the songs chosen by fans and by Becks to be played during the program, such as Boney M's Daddy Cool. The Sun also has a preview of a few of the comments from the show, online here. The BBC has two short audio previews. Here is audio of Becks talking about Capello and audio of Becks talking about his son Brooklyn.

Radio 2 programs can be listened to live via their website and are also available on demand for seven days after they have been broadcast, so if you can't listen live you should be able to catch the show later! Just look for the listen again option on the site.

Merry Christmas everyone!

There is an interesting interview with Roberto Carlos in The Observer. He provides some insight into events at Real Madrid and is confident that Capello will call upon David Beckham. He also believes that Capello will make Becks his captain. You can read the full story here.

Becks expected to train at Arsenal

As previously posted, David Beckham will probably train with Arsenal. Arsene Wenger told The BBC a training arrangement was close to being finalised. Wenger said, "We will help him to get fit and prepare for the season. There's a good chance that he will come in January, but it's not
decided."

"He has 99 caps and I hope he will get 100, if not 100 then 120... At his age he needs to keep fit... He comes (only) to keep fit and work hard," added Wenger."

Thanks to Ben and Loredana for the heads up!

friday, December 21, 2007

Merry Christmas from Becks!

David Beckham has updated his blog and wishes all his fans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

It’s been an amazing year, but even by my standards it’s been a rollercoaster ride… Obviously, the year didn’t start quite how I’d imagined at Real Madrid but helping Real Madrid to La Liga title was an incredible moment, one I’ll never forget and a fantastic way to finish my time in Spain.

Of course, I then joined LA Galaxy in the MLS and my family and myself moved to Los Angeles, where we were made to feel really welcome by everybody. In fact, everywhere I travelled in the US, the people were really welcoming which was great.

Unfortunately, the year didn’t pass without a few injuries and I didn’t play as much as I wanted to, plus we just missed out on the playoffs, but we’ve a good team and I feel I’ve settled in well, so I hope to build on that next year and help the Galaxy to challenge for the title.

I was really pleased to be called up to the England squad in August, it is always an absolute honour and a privilege to play for my country and its something I’d always hoped would happen again. Unfortunately, things didn’t go the way we wanted and we won’t be going to Euro 2008, which is incredibly disappointing. However, looking to the future, I feel I still have something to offer. I’ll always want to play for my country and I hope I can continue to do so.

It was brilliant to go along and celebrate my Academy’s 2nd anniversary. When the Academy first opened I could only have wished it would be a success, and seeing so many children coming through the doors and enjoying the game of football has been great. Here’s to many more!

The Galaxy’s tour of Australia and New Zealand was also an amazing experience. The reception from the fans was incredible and both countries were very beautiful and I would love to go back one day.

So that just leaves me to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you all have a wonderful time and peaceful time with your families and each other.

See you in the New Year…

David

News Catch-up

* Roll-up Roll-up - Tickets for the Pan Pacific Championship that the LA Galaxy will play in next February in Hawaii, are now on sale. Details here.

* Fe Fi Fo Fum - David Bentley has been using fighting talk in The Sun. He has declared his goal of claiming the right mid-field berth as his own but he has also spoken of his respect for David Beckham saying hes, "a top bloke and a great player... I really admire David for everything he’s done in football but I want to be breathing down his neck." Bentley and Becks although rivals are on friendly terms and enjoy a bit of banter, with Bentley joking that he is the 'New Becks' and better looking. In your dreams Bentley, in your dreams :)

* Cool Britannia - Zoo Magazine have compiled a list of the coolest men in Britain in 2007 and David Beckham was ranked 5th coolest. The list is online here.

* Becks clip - There is a clip of the Spice Girls and Becks flying back to the UK following their concert in Germany on thespicegirls.com. Thanks to the fan who shared this

Update Wayne Rooney has backed David Beckham's continued involvement with England saying, "Becks not only because we like him as a person and a friend, I think he is still good enough to play for England and that is the main thing why he should be picked."

"To get that 100th cap, I am not trying to pick the team but personally I still think he is good enough to play for England." The full story is online here.



There are some very cute photos of the Beckham boys on stage with their Mom in the gallery. They were introduced to the audience during the song "Mama". Posh spoke with the Sun before the concert and told them she was pleased that Fabio Capello was England Manager saying, "David has a lot of respect for him." More details online here.

You can see a short but very sweet clip of Becks singing along at one of the Spice Girls concert, thanks to Nadja for the heads up, online here.

Thanks to Laurance there are also a couple more 'behind-the-scenes' photos from the Armani shoot in the gallery. There is also a color version of the black and white Ad released last week as well as a clearer version of the Ad that appeared in USA Today. Laurance sent the photos through more than 2 days ago so apologies to her and you for not posting them sooner but I'm away at the moment and the computer I'm using is a little temperamental :)

tuesday, December 18, 2007

David Beckham on Parkinson

Here's David Beckham's appearance on Parkinson. The first two clips are of his interview and the third clip has lots of cute reaction shots of Becks during Peter Kay's segment and also the part where Dame Edna gets a little "familiar" :) I've also added a few quick screen caps to the gallery.

Here's a clip of David Beckham's appearance on Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood -



You can download the full show online here. There are screen caps in the gallery.

Capello's first press conference

Just moments ago Fabio Capello completed his first press conference as England manager. Capello was asked about David Beckham's hopes of winning his 100th cap against Switzerland and continuing his England career until the 2010 World Cup.

Capello said: "I had a contrasting relationship with David Beckham at Real but in the end he demonstrated what a great man and great player he is. Also, he is the kind of person I believe, when he sets himself something he will achieve it so you never know but obviously I will have to make choices."

"I believe David's behaviour is important."

"Obviously there is still over a month until my first game and plenty of time for important decisions to be made."

More of his comments are available at The BBC.

UPDATE - Capello's quote above was mistranslated, here's a more accurate translation of his comments from The Sun, thanks to the fan who posted this

"Beckham was a great player at Madrid and a great asset.

We had a contrasting relationship at Real but he showed he is a great man and a great player. When Beckham sets a target he usually reaches it.


Beckham is important for England and he is among those players I hold in great consideration."

There is also a good article on David Beckham's future now Capello is England manager, online here.

The Daily Mail has a preview of Parky's last show which David Beckham will be a guest on. Including this cute quote from Becks on his football influenced approach to doing the vacuuming, "In our house in Spain we used to have this big rug that you could Hoover in lines, like Wembley! So Victoria used to catch me after the kids have gone to bed Hoovering and it would all be perfect lines." You can see a few photos from the filming of the show last month, in the gallery. The show will air on ITV1 at 9PM BST tonight (UK Time)!

Ruud backs Becks

Ruud Gullitt spoke with the press at a promotional event for Ford and when questioned about David Beckham's continued involvement with England, he gave Becks his unstinting support saying, "To play for your country is the best thing that can happen. If he wants it to continue then I will do everything I can to help him. It's up to him - but why not? What did everyone say after England played Croatia? They said that Beckham was the best player on the pitch. Everybody knows he is the best player in the squad. I've seen him playing in our exhibition games and he has been playing out of his skin. I think the period between 28 and 34 are the best years of your career."

"If he goes with the national team then I will have to rest him - otherwise I will not be able to play him at his best. But it would be the same with any other player. You need to recover from a long journey." You can read more wise words from Ruud online here.

More David Beckham in Armani

There are two more photos from the Emporio Armani shoot by Marcus and Mert in the gallery. As well as another scan of the picture that appeared in US Today. Interest in the photoshoot has been intense. These new shots appeared in the french press.

David Beckham told The Times that he was nervous about the shoot saying, "I’ve not done many pictures that reveal quite so much but I think the pictures will speak for themselves." You can read the full story here. Thanks to Pru for the link.

Sales for "tighty whities" are through the roof in the UK with the Beckham effect making white briefs all the rage. It looks as if black will be making a strong comeback though judging by these new shots. The Emporio Armani range has also seen an increase of 30% in sales across their range. Victoria Beckham has weighed in on the "photoshopping" debate and told entertainment journalists for The Sun and Mirror that it's ALL Becks in the adverts and she is the authority! More details here.

The Beckham's icecapades

David and Victoria Beckham took their sons ice-skating at the winter wonderland rink in Hyde Park last night and I've added a few more photos to the ones I posted yesterday, in the gallery. Here are a couple of write-ups about the families outing from the Press Association and The Daily Mail They looked like they had a wonderful time!

Update - Posh and Becks took their sons to the winter wonderland ice-rink at Hyde Park in London last night, cute photos in the gallery.



A reminder that David Beckham will appear on two shows on different sides of the Atlantic this Sunday. He will be interviewed on Parkinson, which will screen on ITV1 at 9PM BST and will also appear on Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood on E! at 10.30PM ET. So make sure you have your recorder/tivo set.

The Daily Mail adds its voice to reports that Capello may name Becks as captain when he wins his 100th cap against Switzerland. They also quote italian newspaper, Corriere dello Sport, as saying, "Capello is already thinking about Beckham. David will be an important player for the new England." That sounds good! More details here and also coverage in The Telegraph, who also report that Capello is well disposed towards Becks. Which of course is consistent with comments both men made in the fortnight preceding Real Madrid winning the title.

Capello is expected to be unveiled as England Manager on Monday at a press conference, as the FA have confirmed his appointment today, according to The BBC

I've added another Adidas Happy Holidays Ad featuring Becks to the e-cards gallery. This card uses a photo from July which was released to mark David Beckham joining up with the LA Galaxy. It seems Adidas are revisiting all of Becks hair-styles from 2007.

David Beckham is to have Fabio Capello for his Manager again. Although this time it won't be for club but for country. Fabio Capello will be appointed to the position of England Manager, as has been widely reported upon, later on Thursday, according to The BBC. More details online here. So what do you think of Capello being appointed?

Update - The FA has approved Capello's appointment but he will not sign his contract until terms for his backroom staff have been worked out. He is expected to have a place in his plans for David Beckham, full story here.

England's first match with Capello as Manager will be the friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on February 6th. Hopefully this match will also mark David Beckham's 100th cap and in that event, as a special honor to celebrate this achievement, he would captain the England team for the game.

(Source) Fabio Capello's replacement at Real Madrid, Bernd Schuster told a press conference at the club yesterday, that Roberto Carlos and David Beckham had been hard to replace, saying, "When I arrived, we lost Robert Carlos, the best wing-back in the world, and David Beckham, one of the best players on the right of midfield. They were holes difficult to fill in the summer, but during the season we have solved most of our problems."

Pink is the New Blog have posted what they say is a second ad from the Emporio Armani campaign. It is pretty fuzzy but I thought some of you would still want to see it! It's in the gallery. There is also a photo of Becks boarding Spice One, the Virgin Atlantic plane named in the Spice Girls honor. The plane was inaugurated today at LAX.

A big thank you to Joy who sent me two scans of Becks hanging backstage with the Spice Girls from Hello Magazine. There is a really super sweet picture of him with Victoria. Awwwww! I've also added a couple of Motorola ads to the gallery. We saw these during Becks recent visit to China but these are slightly different versions.

A bruised rib and bout of bronchitis didn't stop David Beckham from taking the time to meet one of his biggest fans, Ryan Hamilton, during his recent trip to New Zealand. Brave Ryan has been battling Cystic Fibrosis and the chance to meet his hero meant the world to him. You can click on the thumbnails above to read the story.

Adidas have released a "Happy Holidays" Ad featuring David Beckham. The Ad uses a picture of Becks that first appeared in February as part of Adidas' Predator v F50 campaign. I've added it to the ecards gallery so you can send it as a card.

Also, just in case you haven't seen this, Adidas have this cool "immersive" video on their site of David Beckham walking down the tunnel at his first game for the LA Galaxy. You can see things from his perspective or watch him walking, by right-clicking on the video and dragging. I hadn't seen this before and it's fun to move the video around.

Click on the picture above for a larger version
(Source) Wow! The new Emporio Armani advertising campaign featuring David Beckham, which was shot on location in Los Angeles by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, will debut with a special gatefold in the February edition of Vanity Fair USA. The campaign will then be rolled out around the world in sport, fashion and lifestyle magazines and on signature billboards in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Milan, Rome, Paris and Tokyo. The ads will also be featured on the Emporio Armani website from 1st January 2008.

Giorgio Armani said, "David is truly a modern day icon in that his fame extends well beyond the realm of soccer. He is considered as one of the world’s most talented soccer players and a former captain of his national team, but his image has come to stand for more than this. He represents a notion of modern masculinity: as a sports hero, husband and father. He is also a man with a great sense of style. There was a time when soccer players were not always considered to be fashion role models. David Beckham has helped to change that."

David Beckham said, "I first met Mr. Armani quite a few years ago while I was working with the England team when he designed our World Cup suit. I've been a big fan of his style for a long time and, through the years, my wife and I have become friends with him, so I’m happy to be working with him now.

For me Giorgio Armani is a man who has been at the top of his game for more than thirty years."

Click here for a 1600 x 1187 version of the Ad above. There are also photos of Becks watching the Spice Girls in Las Vegas, he looks like he has lightened his locks (perhaps another photoshoot?) and a slithering ad from Motorola in the gallery, thanks to Lulu for the heads up!

Photos of David Beckham attending the Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather fight at the MGM Grand for the welterweight title are in the gallery. He was ringside as were many famous faces including Jude Law, Tiger Woods, Gwen Stefani, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Spike Lee, Brad and Angelina and Ricky Hatton's parents. Becks stopped by Ricky's dressing room before the bout to wish him luck. Sadly Ricky lost but he put up a valiant stand. More details online here.

Becks in the 'hood

David Beckham will make a guest appearance on Snoop Dogg's reality show, 'Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood', he will be coaching Snoop Dogg's kids in soccer and also hanging out with Snoop at a barbeque joint. The series premieres tomorrow night and Becks is scheduled to appear on the second episode on Dec 16, according to the NY Daily News. The show will air in the UK on January 20 on E! Entertainment. There are pics of Becks with Snoop Dogg and his kids in the gallery.

Ruud Gullit on the 'Beckham Effect'

There is a nice interview with Ruud Gullit in The Mirror. He discusses how amazed he has been by the 'Beckham effect' and also shows great empathy for Becks. I really liked what he had to say, it shows an ability to put himself in the players shoes.

Pictures of David and Victoria Beckham arriving at the acoustic concert of Mel C at The Mint are in the gallery.



You can watch the Beckhams interview above, thanks to Yurdy23

David Beckham's time in the United States has been "more frustrating than ever", he described his injury-ridden year as "tough".

He made the comments during an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters for a special programme on "the 10 most fascinating people of 2007" which aired in the US last night.

In their first interview together since their high-profile move across the Atlantic, the couple spoke about how they met, their life together and their time in America.

David said: "On the soccer side it's been tough because it's been more frustrating then ever because I've never had so many injuries in such a short time.

"I play soccer because it's my passion." He went on: "My father used to take me on to the field every day. He was obsessed with soccer and he just put it into me.

"I joined a team when I was eight and it went on from there. It's all I ever wanted to do." Asked if he ever dreamed about football, he said: "All the time, all the time."

And asked if it was love or lust when he first saw Victoria, David said it was "a bit of both" and added: "I'd love more children, I'd love two more children, I've always wanted a big family, so...".

But his wife, Posh Spice, interrupted: "I've had three!"

Source

David Beckham on the Pan-Pacifics

The LA Galaxy have their own channel on You Tube now and they've added a few recent clips. Above David Beckham and Landon Donovan discuss the Pan-Pacific Championship scheduled for February in Hawaii. You can check out their channel here

David Beckham is one of the most photographed men in the world but yesterday he was on the other side of the camera! Photos of camera man Becks 'working' at the Spice Girls concert in San Jose last night are in the gallery. There are also pictures of Becks buying candy.

David Beckham will be the face of the FA's bid to host the 2018 World Cup in England. Full story here.

Becks has updated his blog with another lovely post -

Hello everyone,

Well, I’ve been busy flying around everywhere recently. The tour of Australia and New Zealand was an amazing experience. Both countries were beautiful and the people were really friendly and welcoming. I’d definitely love to go back one day.
Soccer wise, it was great to meet up with the Galaxy team again. Although the results didn’t always go our way, I think we played well and I was pleased, on a personal level, to score in both games. The crowds at each game were incredible and, despite being friendly matches, they created an amazing atmosphere, which was a real joy to play in, so I’d like to say thank you to those who turned out to watch.
I did pick up a bruised rib against Sydney FC, but its nothing too serious and I played against Wellington Phoenix without any problems.
On Saturday I’m going to see the Ricky Hatton versus Floyd Mayweather fight in Las Vegas. It promises to be a great showdown - I’ll be cheering Ricky on as he fights to retain the WBC World Welterweight crown at the MGM Grand. Good luck mate!


That’s all for now

David

Reminder: Don't forget to catch Barbara Walter's "10 Most Fascinating People of 2007" special Dec 6th

Update - *Match news* England's next match, a friendly against Switzerland has been confirmed for February 6th, 2008. Thanks to Ben for the heads up.

(Source) The LA Galaxy 2008 season opener has been confirmed as away to the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City on March 29th. Their first home game will be the following week against San Jose.

More details will be posted closer to the time.

The Beckhams are back home in LA. There are photos of the family arriving by private jet yesterday in the gallery, as well as photos of them making a quick trip to San Jose for the next Spice Girls Reunion tour concert.

David Beckham Christmas eCard

Well it's 3 weeks until Christmas! Just 21 shopping days to go! If your credit card is starting to suffer from occupational over-use syndrome I have good news - you can send a Santa Becks eCard to someone for free and put some cheer in their Christmas season! Just click here to send a card. I will try to make a few more to give you more choice :)

Also on the subject of Christmas, just a reminder to get your question and song suggestions into BBC2 for their Christmas day "David Beckham: line of enquiry" show. You can submit your ideas here until Midnight BST December 7th.

Catch-up

There's a few things to catch up on -

* Here's a nice interview with former Manchester United Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. He talks about England missing Euro 2008 and suggests the players need look no further than team-mate David Beckham for an example of how to cope with difficult times. Schmeichel said of Becks come back following his sending off at the 98 World Cup, "Beckham showed unbelievable mental strength to come through to the other side. It was magnificent to see one of your team-mates respond like that... When he went to the World Cup in 1998 he was a very good player. The next season he was an absolutely extraordinary player and was one of the reasons why United won the Treble."

Schmeichel, also backed David Beckham's continued involvement with England, read all his comments online here. Thanks to Sagnad for the link!

* There is a nice video of David Beckham at his academy celebrating the 2 year anniversary of its opening online here.

* In LA Galaxy news, Gavin Glinton has been traded to San Jose and I think I forgot to mention that the MLS Board of Directors have voted to allow Landon Donovan to remain 'effectively grand-fathered' with the LA Galaxy, details here.

* The LA Galaxy have launched an official blog thanks to Ben for the heads up.

* Also here are a couple of cute stories from the Down Under tour. Ross Aloisi, Captain of the Phoenix talks about swapping shirts with Becks, here and you can read the story of the seven year-old school boy who carried out the match ball, here.

David Beckham and the LA Galaxy's Down Under tour has been a huge success, with thousands of satisfied fans having enjoyed their visit. Above is a clip of a longer post-match interview that David Beckham gave, as well as a montage of some of the memorable moments from the Down Under tour!

In the clip Becks mentions that he has bronchitis and also that he took a hit to the chest in the friendly against Sydney FC and so was experiencing some pain. However, The Sun now reports that Becks had in fact broken a rib during the Sydney game. Let's hope he feels better soon.

Ka kite ano Becks

It's next stop Vancouver for David Beckham. He will meet up with Victoria and the Spice Girls for the first concert of their reunion tour, and according to The Mirror will act as back-stage photographer! He winged his way out of Wellington New Zealand this afternoon local time. Above is a clip of David Beckham arriving at the post match party last night before heading to the airport today. There are also photos in the gallery. Let's hope he has a chance to have a well earned break now and a chance to recuperate.

Christmas with Becks

BBC Radio 2 will air a special programme on Christmas day featuring David Beckham talking to Kate Thornton. You can submit questions to be asked on the show, just go here and they are also taking song suggestions, if there is a song that you associate with Becks you can ask them to play it.

Most Fascinating

This Thursday Dec 6th, Barbara Walters is back with "The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2007," a special highlighting some of the year's biggest headline-makers. Guests include Victoria and David Beckham, Justin Timberlake, Katherine Heigl, Jennifer Hudson and Bill Clinton, as well as a few "surprises." 10:02 p.m., Channels 7 and 10 (ABC). Check your local guide for the air time in your timezone.

Update - Here's a radio interview David Beckham did on Friday.

(Source) Becks departed New Zealand Sunday afternoon local time, Saturday evening US PT, heading to Vancouver Canada to meet up with his family. It is reported that he has been suffering from bronchitis and that is the explanation for him rubbing his chest and grimacing during last night's game. Get well soon Becks!

---

The LA Galaxy beat the Wellington Phoenix 4-1 but none of the local supporters minded a bit. David Beckham had a hand in all of the Galaxy's goals and scored the fourth from the penalty spot. You can watch his goal above and a few other quick highlights (apologies for the poor quality). You can watch a replay of the full match on the TVNZ site. Just follow the 'Watch David Beckham in Wellington' video link. You may need windows media player.

You can also watch all the goals in the clip below and see how influential Becks was in the LA Galaxy win!



At the end of the game the crowd gave Becks a standing ovation and the sound level definitely went up a few decibels when Becks took off his shirt!

Becks spoke to the media and said - on the game: "It was okay. We played the ball around well and enjoyed it." - on his goal from the penalty spot: "I was surprised. I'm not the penalty taker but Landon (Donovan) told me to have it and I was happy to." - on the tour Down Under: "On the footballing front I think there's good things to take from the last game in Sydney and obviously we won the game tonight, so it's good to end our season now completely on a win. "But (there's) still some hard work to do with the team and we look forward to that in February."

The first of the photos are in the gallery and there is a match report online here.