In two weeks time the ageing David Beckham has to return to the United States and play for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS (against the New York Red Bulls at Giant Stadium outside New York City). In January this year, Beckham left the MLS mid-season to go play for AC Milan in Italy’s Serie A. Blasphemous to the MLS. Not surprisingly, Beckham has not been very enthusiastic about returning to the US. In 2007 Beckham had arrived, with much fanfare, at the Galaxy. His salary about 10 times that of the average MLS player. Sports Illustrated’s football writer, Grant Wahl, has been following Beckham for the last two years and his book on Beckham’s time at the Galaxy is coming out this month in the US (on July 14). As part of the hype, SL today published a lengthy excerpt from the book on its website. (It’s also in the latest issue of the magazine.) Among other things, Wahl writes about the cold war between Beckham and the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan (over who was the bigger star, as there is any comparison here), describes Beckham’s time at the Galaxy as “an epic disaster” and a “soccer fiasco,” that Beckham was a “cheapskate” (he did not pick up the tab after a night out with his much poorer teammates), reveals the process behind who appointed disastrous coach Ruud Gullit, and Beckham’s deficient captaincy skills. This should be fun.
With his top-flight football career coming to a slow end, most football pundits writing him off and most of the big clubs not interested in his wage demands (the only English Premier League clubs interested in his services at this point, are also-rans Hull and Stoke), Michael Owen must have wondered about life after football.
He could always sell real estate in Dubai. But he may have to improve his presentation (and acting) skills if this 9-minute video for Dubai-based British real estate conglomerate, The First Group, is anything to go by. (Note: The Dubai real estate market is currently down).
BTW, The First Group also use Andre Shevchenko (for their Russian clients) and rugby player, Bryan Habana, to sell their wares.
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