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Ferguson backs Beckham Milan move

Simon Stone,Pa
Friday 24 October 2008 10:11 BST
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Sir Alex Ferguson is not surprised David Beckham could be on his way back to Europe.

Beckham is close to signing a short-term contract with AC Milan, with former Los Angeles Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit among those who think the England star will eventually stay at the San Siro on a permanent basis.

The move has mainly been done to ensure Beckham remains in the England squad for forthcoming friendlies against Germany and, probably, Spain, which would enable him to break Bobby Moore's record number of caps for an outfield player.

However, Ferguson can see the advantages of abandoning the lucrative contract Beckham has with the Galaxy and accepting the standard of football in Major League Soccer is nowhere near what the former Manchester United star is used to.

"It is hardly a surprise," said Ferguson, who sold Beckham to Real Madrid in 2003.

"Going to the United States does not get you the kind of football he is used to.

"It is not the right level of football, therefore coming back into the mainstream of the game is not a surprise.

"People have been edging towards that quite a while now."

It is anticipated Beckham will join Milan at the beginning of January, although there is no chance of a dream meeting with United as the Serie A giants only qualified for the Uefa Cup this season.

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