David May hails Beckham's legacy

The defender has spoken of his admiration for his Old Trafford team-mate’s career, and says the former England captain is a great person both on and off the field

Former Manchester United defender David May has praised his old team-mate David Beckham for the legacy he has left in football.

May played with Beckham for nine seasons between 1994 and 2003 for United, and admitted he was surprised that the former England captain announced his retirement on Thursday, after recently winning Ligue 1 with PSG.

The 42-year-old was full of praise for Beckham’s achievements in the game, and said that his legacy has been left both on and off the field.

“I am a little bit shocked to be fair,” May exclusively told Perform. “When I first heard it, I was surprised because he has done so well at PSG this year, I thought he would carry on.

“As a person he is very down to earth and family orientated. His dad still comes to Old Trafford as often as he can and I sure Becks will come more, I am sure of that.

“As a lad he was very down to earth and you knew where you stand with him. He was one of the lads and he came through in the 94-95 season when the kids would win nothing.

“I think he is a United fan, you see a lot of the ex-players coming back and obviously with his time in America and Paris he was limited when he could come here but now he can come back and bring the kids and enjoy Old Trafford as a fan not a player.

“It is quite an achievement, he has managed to win six Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, a European Cup and he won La Liga, and has gone over France and managed to win that and also in America so for him to do that in a career spanning 700 games is a remarkable achievement.

“I think his legacy will be as a fantastic footballer, a great ambassador and a great lad to be around. People might see him in a different light from what I see him in but he was great to be around, fantastic character and a good laugh.”

AC Milan ponder €15m swoop for Xabi Alonso

The experienced midfielder is unsure about his future at the Santiago Bernabeu and the Rossoneri are closely monitoring his situation

EXCLUSIVE
By Elia Raimondo

AC Milan are pondering a swoop for Xabi Alonso as the midfielder is considering leaving Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.

The Serie A giants are keen to add some more experience to their squad ahead of next season and they see the Spain international as a valuable addition to their midfield.

Alonso has a contract with Madrid until June 2014 and would be open to a new challenge this summer after four seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid have set a €15 million asking price for Alonso and are ready to cash in on the midfielder if Milan were to meet that sum.

Nevertheless, Alonso’s personal demands could prove to be a stumbling block for Milan, with the former Liverpool man having set his sights on a three-year deal worth €4m per year.

The Spain international has also been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Inter, but no club has made a formal approach for the 31-year-old so far.

'Basically, he's everyone's idol' – Football world hails Beckham

The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder revealed on Thursday that he will hang up his boots at the end of the season

It seems like only yesterday that David Beckham burst onto football’s global conscience, but 20 years on from making his Manchester United debut ‘goldenballs’ has announced his retirement from the game.

With his Hollywood good looks and ability to conjure up a moment of magic from dead ball situations, the 38-year-old has become an icon in modern football and a global ambassador for the sport.

Of course there was that petulant kick in the white of England against Argentina and the infamous boot to the face – courtesy of Alex Ferguson’s right foot – that ultimately brought an end to his United career, but those incidents have been rare blots on a near-spotless copy book.

After spells with Preston North End, Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, Beckham will bring the curtain down down on his playing days against Lorient on May 25.

The midfielder’s decision to retire this summer has not gone unnoticed across the footballing world and Goal rounds up the reactions of some of the game’s biggest names.







Lampard desperate for Mourinho return

The midfielder recently became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, and says he hopes the manager can restore the doggedness of his past regime if he decides to come back

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says it would be “a huge lift for the club” if Jose Mourinho were to return as manager this summer.
The England international believes Mourinho would make the team more dogged as they bid to compete against the two Manchester teams, who will also be sporting new managers next year.

“If Jose comes back it will be a huge lift for the club,” Lampard told the Daily Mirror. “It’s no secret that he’s an idol for the fans for what he’s done.

“He’s the greatest manager in our history and he changed the whole belief of the club and made us into a winning club. It will lift the fans, and I know it will lift the players.

“When we won under Jose before we got criticised for the fact that we were so dogged – but we must certainly get back to being a bit more dogged.

“It doesn’t mean taking away the beautiful football because when you have the players we have, three No.10 types who are so versatile, then you have to cater for that and get them into your team to win games.

“But you have to have a balance. Those who haven’t worked with him before will understand that he’ll come in and give them an extra edge. Hopefully that will take us back to being that consistent force.”

Lampard believes the departure of Sir Alex from Manchester United could signal a slight weakening of the Premier League champions, and pinpointed a title challenge as Chelsea’s key aim next term.

“I think the changes at United and City give us more chance, although they’ve raised the bar,” he continued. “It’s going to be a huge change for them and whether they can adapt remains to be seen.

“There’s a little bit of relief that Sir Alex  has gone because I have huge respect for him and watching him on the touchline with his aggressive manner and passion.

“It’s a huge priority to be challenging for the league again next season. And I would love to win the Premier League again, for sure.”

Juventus line up Piszczek as Lichtsteiner replacement

The Serie A champions could decide to cash in on the Switzerland international and have their eyes on the Bundesliga star

EXCLUSIVE
By Romeo Agresti

Juventus are keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund defender Lukasz Piszczek as they line up replacements for Stephan Lichtsteiner, who has caught the attention of a number of foreign clubs.

The Serie A champions have yet to receive a formal offer for Lichtsteiner, yet they are aware of the interest of both Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in the right-back.

The 29-year-old has a contract with Juve until June 2015, but the Turin giants are ready to cash in on the Switzerland international if PSG or Madrid make a big-money offer.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici is confident that Juventus can find an adequate replacement for Lichsteiner and sees the 27-year-old Piszczek as the perfect alternative.

The Poland international signed a new contract with Dortmund until 2017 back in December, but Juventus are hopeful that an offer in the region of €15 million will be enough to lure him away from the Champions Lague finalists.

Piszczek joined BVB from Hertha Berlin on a free transfer in the summer of 2010 and has since developed into a key player at the Bundesliga giants.