23 Oct 2008

Beckham and Milan take almighty risk

7:19 am on 23 October 2008

David Beckham is poised to join Brazilian stars Kaka and Ronaldinho in the Italian soccer club AC Milan, on a short-term loan from Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 33-year-old England midfielder wants to keep up his fitness and impress England coach Fabio Capello during the US Major League Soccer close season.

If the Milan deal's agreed, Beckham could anger the American soccer family who'd hoped he was in the United States for good and would continue to promote the minority game there.

And it may give the impression that Los Angeles and the standard of soccer in the US aren't good enough to sustain his ambition of playing at the 2010 World Cup.

Beckham trained with Arsenal during the last close season but there was never a chance he would turn out for the London club.

Milan also don't play with a winger, while their star-studded midfield is packed with talent that a 33-year-old without much pace would struggle to compete with.