Becks: why I’ll be glad to be re-united with Alex

DAVID BECKHAM has revealed his deep debt of gratitude to Sir Alex Ferguson despite recent rifts and insists he will happily shake the Manchester United manager’s hand when England visit Old Trafford for next Wednesday’s Euro 2004 qualifier with Liechtenstein.

The England captain, who insists he is fit enough after his slight groin problem to lead his country in Saturday’s qualifier in Macedonia, has been critical of Ferguson in the serialisation of his forthcoming autobiography.

The dressing room incident which left Beckham with an eye injury and his demotion to the bench for the Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid last season have been highlighted as indications of a deteriorating relationship with Ferguson.

But Beckham insisted the positives outweigh the negatives in terms of his thoughts on Ferguson, and the debt he owes him, will be there for all to read when the book is published in full.

“If I see Sir Alex next Wednesday then of course I would shake his hand. I respect him as a manager. That’s the way it is. That’s the way it always will be,” the England skipper admitted yesterday.

“He has done so much for me in my career. People are talking about the negative stuff in the book but they actually haven’t read the positive stuff in the book yet about Sir Alex.

“He was my manager for 15 years. He signed me at the club. He made me into the player I was and all the positive stuff will come out once the book is out and that’s the way I feel about it.

Beckham admits he is “a bit more happier now” with life after his summer transfer to Real Madrid where he believes he will peak as a player.

He said: “I am happy when I am playing football and I am happy when I’m playing good football. Things have moved on and I’m playing in a different country and a different team.

“I’ve said how happy I am but I was happy playing with the players at Manchester United. They are my friends. I regarded them as my family.

“I’m just a little bit more happier now because certain things are different. I’d like to think the best of David Beckham is to come. That’s one reason why I wanted to go to a club like Real Madrid is because I can learn from players we’ve got. “I’m 28 and I’m still looking to improve as a player and there’s no better place than being on the pitch with players like Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Carlos and Raul.”