Spurs and West Ham on alert as David Beckham says he's ready for return to England

Family guy: David Beckham with wife Victoria and children Brooklyn, Cruz and Romeo at last night’s ceremony
David Smith11 April 2012

David Beckham today put Tottenham and West Ham United on alert by revealing he may consider a comeback to the Premier League in a bid to regain his place with the England national team.

The LA Galaxy midfielder insisted that being honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony did not signal the end of his career in football but, at the age of 35, "the start of a new chapter".

And while the former England captain had previously maintained he would only consider a return to the Premier League with Manchester United, with whom he became established as a football icon during the nineties, it now appears he is opening the door to other possibilities.

He said: "I played in the Premier League for so many years with a club I adored and will always adore. I always said I would never play for another English club but you never know.

"The Premier League is a great league, one of the most competitive in the world. Maybe one day I will come back here. I always said it will only be for Manchester United but I'm not holding my breath on that one. We'll have to wait and see."

In August, West Ham co-owner David Gold offered an open invitation for Leytonstone-born Beckham to join his club, saying: "Our belief is that he is still a great player and it would be a fantastic achievement if he came to West Ham.

"He's an East End boy and it would be a fitting end to his career."

Then Standard Sport last week revealed that Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was plotting an ambitious move to sign Beckham on loan, ahead of the start of the new MLS campaign in March when the player will enter the final season of his contract with the Galaxy.

Redknapp has been interested in Beckham before and said last year: "David Beckham is a fantastic player but also a terrific role model and professional. If the opportunity was there to sign him, any club would have to think about it.

"He would still be a terrific player. His delivery of the ball remains exceptional, he is a great trainer and he is a local boy from up the road."

In 2009 and again at the start of this year, Beckham used the break between MLS championships to go on loan to Italian giants AC Milan.

He has ruled out a return to the San Siro this time but is looking for other options to maintain his form and force England coach Fabio Capello to reconsider his opinion that the midfielder was "probably a little too old" to win a 116th international cap.

A defiant Beckham, who missed this summer's World Cup after sustaining a serious Achilles tendon injury, said: "I always try to prove people wrong.

"Sometimes I've done it, sometimes I haven't, but it's something that I enjoy doing. I enjoy it when people either criticise me or doubt me. I try to turn it into a positive.

"Going back to AC Milan is not possible because of getting onto the roster for such a short space of time.

"But it would be nice to go somewhere because I want to keep myself fit, I want to give myself a chance of getting called up for England again.

"You usually get a Lifetime Achievement Award at the end of your career and I still feel like I'm starting a new chapter. I still feel like I'm playing well, I still feel I can do it. I'm not finished yet."

Judging by the reception Beckham received when he was called on stage to receive his award from United legend Sir Bobby Charlton at Birmingham's LG Arena last night, plenty of people would love to see him continuing to ply his trade for an English club.

A misty-eyed Beckham got a standing ovation lasting three minutes, during which his wife Victoria was seeing wiping tears from her cheek. "I never expected reactions like that," he added. "It is one of the best reactions I've ever had from an audience. It was really incredible.

"I could see my wife getting emotional and I could see my mum bawling. It sent me over the edge."

Beckham initially trained at Spurs' School of Excellence but went on to make over 260 appearances for United. He also played for Preston North End, Real Madrid, the Galaxy and AC Milan.

With England he is the most-capped outfield player and has become one of the most recognised faces in international sport.

Yet the Beckham story is far from finished. Acclaimed for his ambassadorial role in supporting the bids to bring the Olympic Games to London in 2012 and the World Cup to England in 2018, he said: "I wake up every day and want to achieve something.

"I have to be a good role model for my children and other children out there. And I love football, I'm not done with playing the game yet. I might be 35 years old but I still feel like I can play at the top level for another couple of years."

At the age of 50, Phil Taylor has set Beckham an example by still playing darts at the very top level and The Power' led the tributes to him.

After being pipped to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award by jump jockey Tony McCoy, Taylor recalled his astonishment when Beckham approached him after the ceremony and seemed to know all about him.

The reigning world champion said: "He asked about my kids and he said he had heard that I had just had a little grandson.

"And I'm thinking, wow!'. I said to David, can I kiss you?' He's such a lovely man. I'm in awe of him."

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