Beckham back where it all began

David Beckham is relishing the prospect of donning the red of Manchester United once again when he lines up in Gary Neville’s testimonial match.

In a measure of how much regard Beckham has for his former United team-mate, he will miss LA Galaxy’s Major League Soccer clash with the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday to take part.

United play host to a Juventus XI at Old Trafford on Tuesday to honour Neville, 36, who called time on his career in February after 602 games for the reigning English Premier League champions.

Spending almost two decades at the club, Neville emerged among a crop of United youngsters that also included current players Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes as well as brother Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.

Beckham said he was looking forward to seeing some old friends on Tuesday.

“It’s going to be interesting seeing Nicky Butt and Scholesy and all these guys,” Beckham said.

“We had so many great memories with the club and with each other. We grew up together and we were part of such a historical team at Manchester United.”

“To have a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson look after us and bring us right through the ranks, gave us a chance when nobody else probably would have given us that chance.”

“To be back in a Manchester United shirt at Old Trafford with the Class of ’92 doesn’t get much better than that.”

Beckham hailed Neville, who earned 85 caps for England, as a Manchester United man through and through.

“He’s a huge fan of the club, but he’s more than that,” he said.

“Manchester United is a religion to so many fans and so many players and people, and that’s what it is to Gary.”

“Fans sing songs about him and they’re all true because he’s passionate about playing for the club and he’s always loved the club and he always will.”

Beckham will pull on a Manchester United shirt for the first time since he left to join Real Madrid in 2003, and joked Neville could expect the same limited service he had given him during their 10 years together at Old Trafford.

“I think our partnership was so strong because we both knew how to work with each other,” he said.

“He also knew that every time he made an overlapping run that he was never going to get the ball. He did that for 10 years and he probably got four or five balls off me in 10 years.”

“Hopefully that will happen again on Tuesday night – I won’t give him the ball again, well maybe one ball.”