David Beckham was said to be very upset on Thursday night, after Turkish police roughly manhandled a young girl who was trying to get his autograph.
Apparently the young fan, who was clutching a copy of Becks' autobiography, had slipped through the police cordon at Istanbul airport. She ran towards the England skipper, with the book and a pen in her outstretched hands, but was pushed back by police officers.
Initially David tried to walk towards the tearful youngster, but police also blocked his path and sent him back towards the team coach. "Beckham saw her coming and went towards her to give her his autograph," said an onlooker. "But then he was also stopped by the Turkish police officers. He looked really upset."
The incident came as the footie ace was credited with diffusing the controversy over Rio Ferdinand's suspension from the squad.
A number of players had threatened not to appear at Saturday's crucial Euro 2004 clash after Rio was banned for missing a drugs test. But according to newspaper reports, David acted as a mediator between the team and the Football Association, brokering a truce.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
