DAVID BECKHAM has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson helped bring Lionel Messi to Inter Miami.
The England and Manchester United icon is still a major figure in football, 11 years after hanging up his boots.
Beckham co-founded Inter Miami in 2018 with American billionaire businessman Jorge Mas.
Now president, he has helped the Florida-based side top the Eastern Conference standings.
And they now face an MLS Cup final against either LA Galaxy or LAFC next month.
Miami’s success on the pitch has been down to Beckham’s savvy signings of ex-Barcelona stars Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and World Cup winner Messi.
The latter is still in fine form at the age of 37, with 19 goals in 21 games this year.
And Becks has now lifted the lid on his plan to bring Messi to America.
The ace looked set to re-join Barcelona when he quit Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023.
But Beckham has revealed that some key advice from old boss Sir Alex played a crucial part in winning the race for Messi’s signature.
He told the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast: “A lot has changed over the years [with the MLS] and I feel very proud that I’ve been part of that change, but I know that there’s still a lot of work to do, but I think what we’ve done in Miami, when you bring someone like Leo to America, I always said that it was our gift.
“As an ownership group and as a person that owns the club, I wanted to do something for the game, but I also wanted to do something for America because they’ve given me so much over the years and they’ve given me so much love that to bring Leo to inspire the next generation of players in America, that’s what we wanted to do.
“I think that one of the things that I learned from the boss over the years, and it wasn’t something that he specifically told me, one of the things that I learned from the boss was it’s not about bringing the biggest and best players, it’s about bringing the right players.
“If you can bring the biggest and best players that is the right player, then there’s not many of them around, but with Leo, what we knew that we were bringing and I knew that yes he was going to be successful on the field but I also knew that he was going to help our club off the field.”
Meanwhile, Becks has given his backing to Sir Jim Ratcliffe to turn old club United into a lean and mean machine.
He continued: “I think that it definitely needed change. Speaking as a United fan, I think that many people had said that the club needed change and it needed a fresh perspective in how this club needs to be run and the decisions that are made.
“I really like Jim. I’ve met him a few times over the years with a few mutual friends and I think that he’s a fan and obviously he’s a great businessman as well, one of the best and one of the biggest. But I think more importantly the fans see that he cares, and I think that that’s a big part of it.
“I think obviously the fans had lost faith with the leadership over the years and obviously he really cares about what he wants to do and what he wants to create. So, hopefully, things will change but these things take time. These things take time.
“I think we have been quite patient as United fans over the years, but we want those good old days back. We want those days back, and the sooner the better.”
Finally, Becks also sang the praises of England free-kick hero Trent Alexander-Arnold – even admitting the defender’s right foot is almost as good as his!
Beckham added: “I suppose if there was one player where I look at and I think, ‘he’s very similar in the way he delivers the ball, he’s very similar in the way he crosses the ball or passes’, it has to be Trent.
“In all honesty, I think he’s an unbelievable [player] – his vision, he’s unbelievable. And he’s an exceptional player.
“But when I look at a player and I think I see myself in the way he puts the ball in, what he sees in the long balls that he plays, you know he plays balls that some players don’t even think about and that’s what I love about him as a player.”
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