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Italy or Spain, Beckham's England place assured

By Henry Winter

Despite Manchester United and England star David Beckham's persistent talks about transfer to Real Madrid, Barcelona or AC Milan, he is still an international sporting icon. — AP

LONDON JUNE 9. David Beckham was told by England's head coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson, that his place in England's starting XI was assured regardless of whether the midfielder moved to a new club such as AC Milan, Barcelona or Real Madrid or stayed at Manchester United.

"If you play for United or Barcelona, it doesn't matter because you are playing top, top international football,'' said Eriksson. "I know Barcelona isn't in the Champions League next season but that's just for one year only. It doesn't matter, as long as you're playing football at the highest level.''

Eriksson is clearly relaxed where his captain is employed, providing it is by a leading club in the Premiership, in Italy's Serie A or Spain's La Liga, and the Swede may even feel that escaping England would improve Beckham technically and tactically.

For all the coach's kind words, Beckham will know that leaving Old Trafford for anywhere but Milan, the European champion, or Real, the most famous club in the world, would be perceived as a step down.

Deprived by suspension and injury of Beckham's considerable services for Euro 2004 qualifier with Slovakia, Eriksson still gave an insight into the player's extraordinary global popularity and some of the logistical problems involved with having such an icon on board — especially when his family is in tow.

If Beckham had travelled to La Manga with England recently he and his wife and sons would have been billeted away from the players' hotel. "David wouldn't have stayed in the hotel,'' revealed Eriksson. "That would've been impossible. Our security people saw there could be a problem. We would've put him close to the hotel in a private villa and he would have had the FA security around him.''

The hysteria Beckham prompts echoes the `Fifth Beatle' spell of George Best. Beckham has still to impress America, where `soccer' isn't the main passion to Uncle Sam and his sons, but his fame elsewhere is phenomenal; for the bean-counters at clubs such as Milan, Barcelona and Real, such popularity means merchandising millions. Beckham is the face that launched a thousand sales slips.

"He's extremely popular, wherever he goes,'' continued Eriksson. "It was absolutely incredible in Japan, and South Africa was the same. It's the same when he travels with Manchester United, I guess. Wherever he goes he's that popular because he's a great footballer and maybe because, the ladies will tell you, he's a nice-looking young man and he's married a very famous woman. I admire him because he's handled the attention absolutely perfectly.

"When he's with England he's like all the other players, working very hard. His secret is that yes, he's a big, big star but he's never asked for special favours. I don't think the rest of the players care if Beckham gets 500 photographers so the others only get 400. They're happy for him to get the extra attention. I've never noticed them being jealous.''

England won without him against Serbia and Montenegro last week and is expected to make only one change, Wayne Rooney for Emile Heskey, against Slovakia at the Riverside on Wednesday.

"Wayne and Michael Owen were looking very good together in training,'' said the England midfielder, Steven Gerrard.

"They are both young and haven't played together much, so if the manager gives the partnership time, keeps playing them together in friendlies and the bigger games, I am sure it will develop into a top-class partnership. The reason why we played so well against Turkey [in April] is because Wayne gave everyone a big lift.'' 151; Copyright, The Telegraph Group, London, 2003

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