By IANS
London : David Beckham was never a problem during his stint at Old Trafford till he got married, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed on the club’s website.
The Scot claimed the 31-year-old’s celebrity persona had overtaken his status as a sportsman following his marriage to former Spice Girl Victoria.
“He was never a problem until he got married. He used to go into work with the academy coaches at night time, he was a fantastic young lad,” revealed the 65-year-old Ferguson who had overseen Beckham growth from a youth team player into the star midfielder.
“Getting married into that entertainment scene was a difficult thing – from that moment his life was never going to be the same.”
Ferguson also claimed the former Real Madrid player’s celebrity status had overshadowed his significance as a footballer.
“He is such a big celebrity, football is only a small part. The big part is his persona.”
The veteran manager feels the former England captain faces a near-impossible task to turn football into one of the major sports in the US. The sheer size of the US and the exodus of young American talent to Europe would stunt the growth of Major League Soccer (MLS).
Los Angeles Galaxy signed Beckham – currently out with a knee injury – on a five-year contract in a bid to boost the popularity of the game.
“In the late ’70s I went to America with Aberdeen and there were guys like (Teofilo) Cubillas and (Peter) Shilton there,” the Scot said.
“Before that there was Pele, (Johan) Cruyff, (Franz) Beckenbauer. It is difficult with David going there – I don’t know what kind of impact he can make. David himself can’t change the whole country.”
Ferguson feels MLS is also undermined by the exodus of young homegrown talent.
“What you have got in the States is that a lot of kids are playing football and there is nowhere to go,” he said.
“The best American players go to Europe very early, like Brad Friedel (at Blackburn Rovers), (Brian) McBride and (Clint) Dempsey at Fulham. So that situation doesn’t help the American game.”