Beckham has his sights set on Olympic gold on home soil

By David Gold

October 18 – LA Galaxy’s David Beckham has reiterated his desire to play for Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and has his sights firmly set on gold.

Beckham bid farewell to the LA Galaxy fans at the weekend as he played his final home league game for the club as they beat fierce local rivals Chivas USA to ensure that they won the Western Conference, and go into the MLS Cup as favourites to lift the trophy.

“To be part of that Olympic spirit and to be able to win gold for Britain would be the ultimate [goal] for me,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“The fact that we’ve got the Olympics in the East End of London where I grew up, the fact that I could be part of that and that I could be out there trying to win gold would mean a hell of a lot to me because I am very patriotic.

“So whoever I sign for, to make sure I would be ready to make that attempt I would have to be playing regularly.”

Olympic football squads must be comprised of players, who are 23-years-old or younger, with three “overage” exceptions allowed, and the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is a strong contender to be one of those exceptions as players who are selected in the England squad for the European Championships next summer won’t be picked for the Olympics.

Though the patriotic Beckham would likely jump at the chance to compete in those championships, being held in Ukraine and Poland, he has not appeared for his country since a 3-0 win over Belarus in 2010.

Beckham is currently considering a number of offers as he weighs up his future, which seems likely to be away from the United States West Coast.

His most likely destination is Paris, where big spending Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain should clinch his signature, with reports suggesting that he will enjoy an ambassadorial role similar to that of Zinedine Zidane when the French great played for Real Madrid.

Should that move fail to materialise, a number of English sides including Queen’s Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City have all expressed interest in the 36-year-old.

Beckham said that the key factor to any decision on his future is that he gets enough playing time to put himself in contention for London 2012.

“What will actually happen next I still can’t say, but what is very important in the decision in terms of what I do, be it staying here, or going to PSG or wherever, is that I get enough time on the pitch because I want to be part of the Olympics.”

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