Beckham's future looks clearer after Ferguson snub
David Beckham swapped shirts with Zinedine Zidane, raised his hands to applaud the crowd and walked slowly off the Old Trafford pitch after what looks likely to be his last Champions League match for Manchester United.
David Beckham swapped shirts with Zinedine Zidane, raised his hands to applaud the crowd and walked slowly off the Old Trafford pitch after what looks likely to be his last Champions League match for Manchester United.
The England captain had been forced to wait until the 64th minute to join the fray as a substitute, scoring two goals to help secure a thrilling 4-3 win that was not enough to take his team into the semi-finals.
But as United licked their wounds after another disappointing campaign in Europe's premier competition, Beckham's future, the subject of intense recent speculation, suddenly looked clearer. Surprisingly left on the bench for last week's premier league title showdown against Arsenal, it was impossible to over-estimate the significance of Alex Ferguson's decision to deny Beckham the chance to start against the club he is widely expected to join.
The manager said the midfielder's omission was due entirely to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's excellent recent form, an explanation that was surely a smokescreen.
Few would argue that the consistent Solskjaer did not merit a place in the starting line-up, but the inclusion of Juan Sebastian Veron in place of the suspended Paul Scholes was a huge gamble.
The Argentina midfielder returned to the side after seven weeks out with a knee injury and his largely ineffectual performance, a series of wayward passes and indulgent flicks, provided a microcosm of his disappointing two-year stay Old Trafford.
The decision to drop Beckham was the latest episode in a troubled relationship between England's most famous footballer and the man in charge of the country's biggest club for nearly 17 years.
Beckham has been left out before, famously in 2000 after missing training to take his baby son to the doctor, while as recently as February he was struck in the face by a stray boot kicked by an irate Ferguson after United's FA Cup defeat by Arsenal.
Beckham's pop star wife Victoria was reported to be furious, while Ferguson dismissed the incident as just one of those things that happen in dressing rooms.
Although Beckham may have shrugged off that spat, he will have been hurt by being axed for last week's pivotal clash with Arsenal and the Real Madrid snub looks likely to be the final straw.
After helping United win five premier league titles, two FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League, Beckham has made a huge contribution to the club's success and his commitment has never been questioned despite huge media interest in his celebrity lifestyle.
Rarely missing a match through injury, the 27-year-old has played around 400 games for United, scoring more than 80 goals goals, many with his trademark free kicks.
Beckham may still play a major role in the next three premier league matches as United aim to pip Arsenal to the league title, but it now seems almost certain that his Old Trafford departure is imminent.