Fergie: Beckham should have stayed at United or Madrid

Sir Alex Ferguson has sung the praises of David Beckham, despite noting a change in the player’s priorities once he married Posh Spice.

“He is an amazing boy,” Ferguson said. “I mean how he has created himself. He’s an icon for young people. He’s fantastic, a wonderful boy. He always had a lovely smile, you know, and he always presents himself well, but as a young kid when I got him at 12 years of age his great desire was to play some of the best football. He was a fantastic trainer, practised all the time and at night-time, he would come by with the schoolboys and practise with them. And then of course, his life changed, when he married the girl from The Spice Girls and his focus changed. He got drawn into that celebrity status, you know? And for me, I’m a football man. I’m a football man. He lost the focus, but when we sold him to Real Madrid, he did well. The thing I couldn’t believe is that he goes to LA Galaxy. I couldn’t understand that. I would never do that, you know? If I was going to go, I would be making sure he would go to the best, and Real Madrid was the best, I would say, and United. But he reinvented himself. He goes and plays for the English national team for a couple more years. He goes and plays for AC Milan in the European Cup. He’s unbelievable. He really is – and good, well done to him. I mean, he’s – you can’t argue with the status he has in life. But for me, it would have pleased me more to see him be a great, great player, you know? But how can I argue with life? He’s an icon for young people… and represents himself the proper way. And I say: ‘Well done.’”