California Dreaming Is Over?

£120M, 5 Years, sun, stars and celebrity. It all sounded so good………..to Posh.

Without a career to her name, being just another celebrity amongst a host of celebrities still fitted in with her idea of a dream lifestyle. It was going to be so good. She may even get her music career (stop laughing) back on track. But despite 3 kids and a few thousand miles, she still can’t over come the pull of the first love of David Beckham’s life – football.

Had he thought that there was still a future for him in international football and at Real or another major European club, there is no way on earth that any amount of pouting would have dragged Becks half way around the world to play ‘soccer’ in what is, let’s face it, the football backwater of the globe. Hell, the American’s think football is played mostly with the hands anyway so what chance does the most popular game on the planet stand against a mentality like that. Forget shin pads, these guys need full body armor before they’ll even dare set foot on the field. And then, after every ’play’ they need to have a rest before they start again. No wonder, since most of them look like Mick Quinn after a good hard night on the kebabs. They don’t have any United’s or City’s or even Athletics. No, they have Cardinals, Ravens, Steelers and Patriots. Can you imagine that happening here – Manchester Pistols?, Newcastle Fat F*ckers? or even London Soft Sh*tes?

Anyway, back to Brand Beckham and the former England captains desire to stay in Italy. Understandable, sensible, practical, probable? Possibly the only place that could tempt Posh away from Hollywood. With his newly discovered form and newly regained England place, the man who won the treble as part of the 1999 Manchester United team is naturally keen to ensure that it all does not suddenly disappear into the sunset on a Boeing 747 bound for Los Angeles.

Milan is one of the fashion capitals of the world. It is also has two very successful football teams in Inter and AC. The elements are there to make both sides of the Beckham household happy. But the omens are not currently looking good.

Milan failed to meet Galaxy’s demands to agree a deal by last Friday. The two sides are reportedly further apart in their discussions than they are in physical distance. Yet with Beckham himself making ever more loud noises about being ’unhappy’ about having to return across the Atlantic, Galaxy will be faced with either compromising on their most expensive asset or facing the unenviable prospect of having a player in their squad who simply does not want to be there. This situation is not without precedent as plenty of clubs have encountered issues with players whose desire to move to alternative employers has been played out in the media to varying degrees of success.

Ultimately, if Beckham is to retain his England slot and is to have one more and possibly final shot at silverware in the domestic, European and international arena, then a permanent move to Milan is imperative. His fitness has come on leaps and bounds since his arrival at the San Siro. His performances have given rise the Milan’s very public wish to retain his services on a more than part-time basis. The former England captain has certainly found both his form and his drive again. Is it therefore in anyone’s interests not to allow one of the biggest names in the game to fulfill his wish and to sign for Milan?

You would imagine that the answer to that is no. However, stranger things have happened. The unpredictable element in all of this is, unsurprisingly, the Americans. As a nation, they have a habit of doing exactly what they like and believing that it is right no matter what anyone else tries to tell them. If they want to keep Beckham and are determined to do so then they will whether it makes him miserable or not. Money talks louder than anything else across the Pond and when it shouts they tend to listen.

I hope that he gets his wish. He may not be the player who once terrorized defenders with his passing and shooting ability but his eye for a pass was more than evident during England’s recent friendly against Spain. As an individual, he may receive praise and criticism in equal measure from far and wide. As a husband and father, only Victoria and the boys can comment honestly. But as a footballer, there are very few teams in the world who would not benefit, at some point, from the ability that the 33 year-old still possesses.

That includes England, and Fabio Capello’s outfit will be better off if the Beckham’s are strutting their stuff in Milan come the summer rather than on Hollywood Boulevard.