Cosmos Federation

Beckham : the new messiah of football as Pelè ?

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) - David Beckham's bid to bring football in from the fringes of American sport began amid a burst of confetti and booming rock music Friday as he took his first bow for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"Soccer can be as big here as it is everywhere around the world, and I'm very proud to be a part of that over the next few years, and maybe a few more years after that," Beckham promised several thousand fans at the Home Depot Center, where the Galaxy rolled out the red carpet for their new star.

That is just what the Galaxy and Major League Soccer were banking on when they engineered the acquisition of Beckham back in January, when Spanish club Real Madrid and England had become disenchanted with the midfielder.

At the time, the deal that could be worth as much as 250 million dollars including endorsements and merchandising was seen as a move to a football backwater by a player entering the twilight of his career.

Not so, insists Beckham, who has since been recalled to England and helped Real to the Spanish League title.

"I don't see this as a winding down of my career," he said. "I may not be 22 years old anymore, but I am as fit as I was at 22. I am as eager as I was at 14 years old."

Beckham, looking dapper in a grey suit and tie, flashed his grin as he was handed a Galaxy jersey bearing his name and old Real Madrid squad number of 23 -- evoking the spirit of basketball great and Beckham hero Michael Jordan.

He posed for pictures alongside Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas and his new head coach, Frank Yallop, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, Tim Leiweke -- the chief executive and president of the Galaxy's owners AEG -- and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

While Beckham has known for months he was headed Stateside, he showed he still has a few adjustments to make.

"The first thing in my life is always my family," he told the crowd. "The second most important thing has always been foot...soccer," he said. "Sorry, I'll get used to that, I promise."

Beckham said he hoped to dispel any doubts of his commitment when he makes his Galaxy debut in a friendly against Premiership club Chelsea on July 21.

"For me it has always been about the football. That has always been the reasoning behind every move in my career. It has always been about the football. I'm very proud of what I've done so far.

"I've won everything possible in England, I've won a league title now in Spain and I've successfully played for my country for 11 years and captained them for six years."

In addition, Beckham and his pop-star wife, Victoria, have become a staple of the popular press, hobnobbing with an array of stars who include their new Beverly Hills neighbors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

The Beckhams' arrival in Los Angeles with their three sons late Thursday dominated local news reports on Friday morning and attracted as much coverage in the celebrity magazines and gossip columns as in the sports pages.

That popularity promises the kind of cross-over appeal that MLS officials hope will spark a surge of interest in the sport.

"It's fair to say this is a truly historic day for the sport of soccer in the United States," Garber said. "I can't think of a better player or better man at just the right moment in time to make this happen."

Some 14.5 million Americans play football, but its popularity pales in comparison to the top three sports: American football, basketball and baseball.

"Throughout my career I've always looked for challenges and something exciting in my life," Beckham said. "This is one of the biggest challenges I've taken on in my career."

While Beckham insisted he is no soccer messiah, he said the climate is better suited now to raise the profile of the game than it was in the 1970s when Pele joined the now defunct North American Soccer League.

"In those days people pumped a lot of money into one team," he said, referring to Pele's New York Cosmos.

"The MLS is a lot more stable than when Pele and George Best moved to America."

Yallop, whose Galaxy side is currently second-worst in the MLS, sounded relieved that Beckham had at last arrived.

"Since we signed David in January, it has been a long wait believe me, but I feel David is the last piece of the puzzle to get us moving in the right direction.

"He's a winner on and off the field, his teammates like him, he wins games and he's a great leader. We're all very very excited and cannot wait to get him on the field, get him in his jersey, get his boots on and win some games."