Real Madrid legend Michel Salgado has revealed how he was tasked with looking after David Beckham when he arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The England captain boldly decided to join Real Madrid after a high-profile fallout with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
In 2003, Beckham became the latest in a long line of Galacticos and appeared to be a perfect fit for the glamorous team assembled by club president Florentino Perez.
While Beckham became an instant star attraction on the pitch, he initially faced problems acclimatising to his new life in Spain.
Real Madrid icon Salgado has spoken about how he was made responsible for Beckham from his first day at the club.
“For me, it was a tough moment because I had to babysit him a little bit,” Salgado told TNT Sports. “Victoria [Beckham] was not there so I was the only guy speaking English.
“He would call me every day, ‘Michel, let’s go for this, let’s go for that’. So it was a pretty good time. For me, it was good because I practised English. I did it with Macca [Steve McManaman] before and then I had Beckham so it was a good moment.”
The team failed to deliver on its potential during Beckham’s time in Spain but did clinch the La Liga title in 2007. Beckham would go on to join LA Galaxy before retiring at PSG after two separate loan spells at AC Milan. He is now the owner of MLS side Inter Miami, who count a certain Lionel Messi among their ranks.
As for Salgado, the full-back was once described as the “hardest person in the world ” and “a genuine psychopath” by McManaman.
Perhaps the defender’s approach to the game came from his long-standing admiration for English football. He grew up learning the language with his sister-in-law from York and spent a month in Margate during his teenage years as an exchange student. It meant that when he was released from Real Madrid, he took the advice of ex-team-mates Ivan Campo and Fernando Hierro to join former Bolton manager Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers.
Salgado would spend three years at Ewood Park and backed Allardyce to replace Fabio Capello as England boss in 2010. “Who is better for England than an English manager who understands the English mentality and knows everything about the English game?” he asked. “He did a great job with Bolton. He is doing a great job with Blackburn Rovers.
“You know the talent of the manager when he has a small batch of players and you are a competitive team. The job he’s done over the last few years has been magnificent. He is one of the reasons I came here to England.”
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Source: USA Today
