Beckham still at Spurs

LONDON – David Beckham has extended his training stint with Tottenham by another two weeks.

The former England captain had been set to return to the United States this week but the Premier League side says he will stick around until February 22.The 35-year-old midfielder will begin preseason training with Los Angeles Galaxy on Feb. 24 in preparation for the Major League Soccer season.Tottenham’s attempt to sign Beckham on loan last month faltered but manager Harry Redknapp still wants him and has said he could try again when his contract with the Galaxy expires in November.’David has been fantastic,’ Redknapp said. ‘He is a top-class bloke. He has been great around the place. You would love to have him at your club.’He is so slim and so fit. He is a fanatical trainer. He works in the morning and the afternoon in the gym. He just loves playing football.’Tottenham is fifth in the Premier League after beating Blackburn 1-0 last Wednesday through Peter Crouch’s third-minute header from Rafael van der Vaart’s long pass.Redknapp thinks his team could be scoring a lot more like that if he had Beckham in his squad to deliver his trademark crosses and free kicks.’That ball that Van der Vaart hit for Crouchy, David hit about seven of them the other morning in training,’ Redknapp said. ‘It was like he had radar and Crouchy kept heading them in the goal.’I kept saying, ‘that’s what I have been asking you to do lads.”Beckham had been hoping that playing in the Premier League would boost his chances of being recalled to the England squad to add to his 115 appearances.The Galaxy, however, was reluctant to allow Beckham to go to Europe for a third consecutive MLS offseason after he damaged his Achilles’ tendon at AC Milan last year and was sidelined for six months.’He’s still keen to keep playing, that’s for sure,’ Redknapp said. ‘I’m sure he’s got a decent enough place in Los Angeles but he’s over here wanting to keep playing.’Most footballers would rather be in Los Angeles.’ – Nampa-AP

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