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25 APRIL 2003
Expectations that David Beckham will soon move to Real Madrid are growing after his team lost to the Spanish giants on Wednesday. The handsome footballer met with his agent immediately after the clash, and an £8-million deal to join Real is said to be in the pipeline.
A grim-faced Becks seemed to bidding farewell to his fans when the final whistle was blown at the crucial Champions League match. After trading shirts with legendary French centre Zinedine Zidane, he applauded all four stands at Old Trafford one by one. Looking noticeably disappointed after spending most of the game on the bench, he then called agent Tony Stephens and wife Victoria for a meeting to discuss his future.
Sources at Manchester United say the iconic athlete's relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson has never recovered from a dressing-room bust-up last February, following which the soccer ace received two stitches in his eyebrow after being hit in the face by a boot kicked by the club's manager.
And Real have made no secret of their wish to sign the midfielder. The fact that he managed to punch through their renowned defence to score two goals after his late introduction to the game has only boosted that desire.
The Spanish side's trainer, Vicente del Bosque, was lavish in his praise after Real knocked United out of the competition. "I have followed Beckham since he was 17 years old and he seems to me an incredible player with an enormous technical quality," he said. "He is extraordinary, and nobody doubts that. It did not surprise me what he did in the half-hour that he was on the field."
If David does head to the Spanish capital he will join a host of other soccer legends in the strongest team in the world. The indomitable side includes his countryman Steve McManaman along with Brazilian stars Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos.
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 | David embraces his countryman Steve McManaman, who plays for Real Madrid, after United's Champions League dreams were shattered by the Spanish team
Photo: © PA
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 | A grim-faced Becks walked around the centrefield at the end of the match applauding all four stands at Old Trafford, before leaving to meet his agent
Photo: © Alphapress.com |
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