It will be a bittersweet moment when David Beckham leaves Madrid for a new life in LA in July. The stylish football ace will clearly miss the camaraderie he shares with his Real Madrid team-mates, including Roberto Carlos, Mahamadou Diarra and Fernando Gago, with whom he was spotted joking at a recent car event in the Spanish capital.
And the affection is clearly mutual. Last week David joined some of his closest friends from the squad for a get-together at one of his favourite restaurants where he was presented with an engraved silver tray and told he would always have a home in Madrid.
With his team topping the league table, David has set his sights on one more big piece of silverware before packing his bags for Beverly Hills. "I want the league title before I go, and I'm sure we can get it now," he says. His current dazzling form on the pitch has not only thrilled fans but also attracted the attentions of England manager Steve McClaren, who is said to be considering bringing back the former captain for a friendly against Brazil on June 1. "I still want to play for my country and I still believe I can do it," Becks said recently.
Even if he's not picked to join the England team, however, David is still being honoured by his homeland with a prestigious award. The 32-year-old has been recognised as the Greatest Briton Overseas as part of the Greatest Britons 2007 awards, honoured for his contribution to the nation both on and off the pitch. His contribution to the London 2012 Olympic bid no doubt played a big part.
While he jets in from Madrid to pick up the gong in London on Monday night, his wife Victoria is in America overseeing the final preparations for their move. She has been in the news of late, too, after sales of a self-help book soared when the mum-of-three was spotted reading it. Sales of Skinny Bitch, billed as a "no nonsense guide for savvy girls to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous", have gone up by 37,000 per cent since the 33-year-old was seen with it.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
