Beckham hopes son could play in MLS team

David Beckham has spoken about his vision for a MLS franchise, and the prospect of his children playing for the club he hopes to own.

David Beckham is finalising plans to start a Major League Soccer franchise, and hoping his teenage son Brooklyn could feature on the team sheet one day.

While wary about putting any pressure on his children to follow in his famous footsteps, the former England captain told AP he hopes Brooklyn could be good enough to play in his team.

Five months after retiring from soccer, Beckham is putting the finishing touches to investment plans before asking the MLS to allow him to start up an expansion franchise in Miami.

Already, the 14-year-old Brooklyn has shown he could be the next Beckham to make it as a professional footballer.

There have been spells with Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers after playing for a Los Angeles Galaxy youth team during his father's time in the MLS.

Asked if he would like to see Brooklyn in his MLS team, Beckham said on Wednesday: "Yes, hopefully, hopefully."

Beckham has two other sons - 11-year-old Romeo and 8-year-old Cruz.

"Whether they play at professional level or whether they play at Sunday league level, I don't care," Beckham said.

"They are level-headed children, they are fun, they love playing the game. So we will see."

The more immediate concern for Beckham is convincing the MLS to allow him to exercise his right to launch an MLS expansion team. The option of becoming a team owner was included in the MLS contract Beckham signed when joining the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.

"I am excited about owning a team ... continuing to be part of the MLS in the future," said Beckham, who has yet to confirm the franchise's host city.

"Miami excites me because I think it's a city that is very excitable."

However adored he was as a footballer by the end of his career, being a team owner is likely to be a tougher proposition, with fans and shareholders alike to please.

"When you are a manager, when you are an owner, when you are a captain I think there's always going to be certain people that don't agree with some of the things that you do," Beckham said.

"But you are there to create something that is going to be successful, not just a year or two, it's for the next 20, 30, 40 years."

As a player who won trophies with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and the Galaxy, Beckham won't settle for second best.

"Being an owner of a team, I want to be as successful as that," Beckham said.

But there's little prospect of seeing the 38-year-old Beckham pulling on his boots in the near future.

"I enjoy watching football a lot more now than I did when I was playing," Beckham said after the launch of a book about his career.


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Source: AAP


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