David Beckham will join Italian giants AC Milan on loan on 7th January next year.
The England midfielder, who is keen to add to his 107 international caps, sees the move as a way of guaranteeing his fitness during the MLS close season where he plays for LA Galaxy. It will mean that he meets Fabio Capello’s requirements that all players vying for international honours must be fit and playing regularly if they want to be included in any of his squads.
And the England boss, a former coach at Milan, thinks the move will work out well for both parties saying:
Milan have made a good addition.
At Madrid I left him out of the squad because he had signed a contract with Los Angeles but he continued to come on the field and train and I put him back in the team.
He is a very serious lad, very sensible, a professional. People think he is a playboy off the field, it’s not true at all.
AC Milan’s Umberto Gandini has confirmed Beckham will only remain with the club until he is required to return to re-join The Galaxy to train ahead of the new MLS season.
Speaking to Sky Sports News he said:
I think he will have to go back to MLS by the time it starts and training before that. A final date has not been agreed yet, but obviously it’s down to MLS to decide.
Obviously it’s going to be good for Becks to be back playing in Europe, and if he wants to continue playing for England, it is practically necessary. However, He is now going to be playing competitive games year round, he won’t have that summer break like the rest of the pros get, that would totally take a chunk out of his body.