Cooke: Beckham’s price tag a disgrace

DAVID BECKHAM’S multi-million dollar move to Los Angeles Galaxy has been branded “a disgrace” by a former Manchester United youth team-mate.

Terry Cooke, now with the Colorado Rapids, shared digs with Beckham as a teenager when they were trainees at Old Trafford — and they will be rivals in Major League Soccer when the former England captain joins his new club in the summer.

While Cooke bears no personal animosity towards Beckham, he is angry that MLS have sanctioned a five-year deal for the 31-year-old midfielder worth a reported €193m.

The league changed their own rules on the salary cap last November to allow deals such as the one announced today, introducing a “Designated Player” option.

“It’s a disgrace if it’s true what I’ve heard about how much he’s going to be earning,” said Cooke.

“Obviously it’s good for him, but we have a salary cap here for each team which is $1.9m for a roster of 28 players.

“I love Becks to bits. He’s a great player — we lived together in Manchester — and it’s not his fault. Any player will get what he can get, and fair play to him. I just think the way the league is structured is a disgrace.

“I heard that the salary cap might be raised by a few hundred grand for next season. But even so, it doesn’t matter who it is; you can’t justify paying one player that sort of money.

“It’s marketing money — but they’ve got to be careful, because this is what happened in the 1970s.

“They [the now defunct NASL] started throwing money about to Pele, George Best and those sorts of players — and it backfired.”

Right-winger Cooke, who overcame a career-threatening knee injury, left United for Man City before his career stalled at Sheffield Wednesday.

“I just hope he’s come for the right reasons,” he said. “I left England for personal reasons. My name was ‘blackballed’ around clubs for no apparent reason, and I had to get away from it.

“I came over here at a good age, 28, three years ago — and I was playing at a high level.

“Let’s hope he’s still hungry and wants to make a future for himself, to still play soccer and love the game — not just for the showbiz lifestyle, which he’s going to have in LA.

“It will end up being a circus, and if it all goes pear-shaped, Becks has signed a five-year guaranteed contract worth all that money — and it’s going to bust the league again.”