Sports / Soccer |
Beckham tips United to repeat treble triumph(Reuters)Updated: 2007-03-09 08:59 David Beckham believes the current crop of Manchester United players can emulate the treble triumph he helped the club achieve in 1999. Speaking to the club's television station, MUTV, Beckham described winning the Champions League, Premier League title and FA Cup in one season as the best experience of his career. He said a repeat could be on the cards with Alex Ferguson's side topping the league by nine points from Chelsea and holding places in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup. "Without a doubt, United are more than capable now of going all the way in every competition because I think that you've got strength in depth and you've got players that Man Utd fans love to see perform," he said. "They love to see players wearing the shirt with pride and wanting to win. I think you -- we -- have got that now. "You've got the excitement, you've got the strength at the back with (Nemanja) Vidic and Rio (Ferdinand) of course and Gary (Neville) on the right and you've got (Patrice) Evra on the left and obviously Mikael (Silvestre) still there. "And then you look at the midfield, there's not many better midfields than that in the country. Look at (Cristiano) Ronaldo. The way he's playing I think he's been one of the best players of the season in the Premiership this year." Beckham was speaking ahead of his return to Old Trafford next Tuesday for the club's charity match against a Europe Select XI to celebrate the 50th anniversary of both United's participation in European football and the Treaty of Rome. The former England captain was due to play against United for the first time since his departure to Real Madrid in 2003 but a knee injury sustained playing for Madrid last weekend means he will return only as a spectator. "I know how it feels to win trophies at Man United and I know how it feels to win big trophies and ... all three in one season and I'd like the club and the young players in the team to experience that as well," he said. "You've got a player like Wayne Rooney who hasn't won a league yet and I think he deserves to win that because he's also been exceptional since he's been at United." Beckham praised his former manager Ferguson, who nurtured Beckham's career from his days as a schoolboy to a world-class midfielder during his time at Old Trafford. The relationship between the pair cooled before Beckham was sold to Madrid but the 31-year-old, who will leave Spain this summer to play in the United States with LA Galaxy, made no secret of his admiration for the long-serving manager. "I wouldn't be the player and the person I am today without him," Beckham said. "It's been well documented that we had our ups and downs once or twice, but you know I owe almost everything to him." |
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