Price of fame could be too costly for Eriksson

The England captain, David Beckham, and the national coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, have joined forces off the pitch in an interview in which they both talk frankly about the pressures of fame.

In a special 10th-anniversary edition of the BBC's Breakfast with Frost due to be broadcast this morning, Beckham, who last month was the subject of a reported kidnap plot involving his wife and children and unfounded rumours about his private life spread on the internet, says he found it hard to deal with the intrusion but was coping all the same.

He says: "I think that something needs to be done about certain things but, you know, it's part and parcel of being a footballer and being a manager these days. It's unfortunate that your private life comes into the game because at the end of the day all I've wanted to do is play football. The other thing has come with it, the fame and everything else, but I'm a footballer."

Eriksson, who faced relentless media pressure over the summer when news surfaced of his affair with the television presenter Ulrika Jonsson, was more forthright and said he would leave Britain if he felt the intrusion became too much.

"I always said that I accept it and it goes on," he said. "The day I don't accept it any more, I will leave this country because that kind of the press is more difficult in this country than Italy, Portugal or Sweden [where he has coached before]."

None of Eriksson's charges have made it into the 25-man World Selection squad to play against Real Madrid in Wednesday's gala match at the Bernabeu. Indeed, no players based in England or France have been picked.

Brazil's Rivaldo, the Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and Italian striker Alessandro del Piero are among the players who will feature in the game which will serve as the finale to Real Madrid's centenary celebrations. They will be joined by the likes of Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose, both key members of the Germany squad that finished runners-up to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup, the Milan and Italy defenders Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini and Bayern Munich's French full-back Bixente Lizarazu. The side will be coached by Brazil's former coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led the South Americans to the world title in the summer.

In a further blow to Eriksson, Stuart Baxter, who is at present working for the Football Association with the England Under-20 squad and has been spoken of as a possible replacement for Steve McClaren as the Swede's assistant, has admitted he is keeping his options open over a possible return to the top job at AIK Stockholm.

AIK are looking for a new coach following the resignation of Dusan Uhrin two weeks ago and the Scot has been in touch with the club. Baxter was in charge at AIK between 1998 and 2000, taking them to the Swedish League title in his first year there.

Baxter said: "I'll willingly speak to AIK the day that I decide there is no place for me here in England. It's not a case of if I don't become Sven Goran Eriksson's assistant then I'll quit. I'm really pleased with the experience I've got and it's an exciting job. But I don't want to become an administrator and move further and further away from what I enjoy the most – being on the pitch."