Figo takes Beckham under his wing

Raul revealed how English-speaking Luis Figo has taken David Beckham under his wing as Real Madrid's tour of the Far East began on Friday.

Because Beckham's grasp of Spanish extends little beyond the most basic of pleasantries, the new recruit has struggled to converse with many of his new team-mates since the players returned from their summer breaks on Thursday morning.

He can cope with Steve McManaman's scouse drawl, and his close relationship with coach Carlos Queiroz, forged during their time together at Manchester United, means Beckham has no problem taking orders.

But Ronaldo's Portuguese, Raul's Spanish and Zinedine Zidane's French have him baffled.

Thankfully, Figo speaks fluent English and Beckham has instantly become close to the man many thought would be vulnerable following the England captain's arrival.

Now that Figo has been assured that his position alongside Beckham in the team is secure, he has been keen to help him communicate.

"It's clear that Beckham has been a little timid, because he has the handicap of not speaking Spanish, but Michel, (Santiago) Solari and Figo have helped him a lot," Raul told www.realmadrid.com.

"He seems very happy and the fact he knows the boss (Queiroz) has been very important in the way he's adapted."

After making a typically grandiose entrance, the England skipper stepped out onto the training pitch for the first time with his new team-mates.

They went through an early-evening workout at the Hongta Sports Complex which will be their tour base for the rest of July, with Beckham among the players involved in what was understandably a light workout following their 13-hour flight.

They touched down at China's sixth largest airport in Kunming soon after midday local time on Friday.

Among the waiting throng of photographers and fans was an official welcome party.

Beckham, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane were among the players draped in garlands of flowers before they were able to collect luggage and board the coach to their hotel.

Along the way, four elephants in fancy garb were at the roadside with their owners to greet the players.

The players appeared stunned by the impressive nature of their welcome, yet clearly they were also drained, mostly due to the length of their flight to the Far East where a friendly against a `Dragon XI' in Beijing on August 2 will mark Beckham's debut.

That is the first of four matches on the tour, with further games to be played against FC Tokyo, China and Thailand before Madrid return home in three weeks' time.

Beckham had sat alongside former England team-mate McManaman, a surprise inclusion in Madrid's squad, on the plane which flew over Iraq on its way to China.

A penny for the outcome of their conversation would have been well invested, with Beckham understood to be keen on compatriot McManaman staying with the club.

"David seemed very happy," said Queiroz when asked how the flight had gone.

However, Madrid are not keen to continue paying former Liverpool star McManaman's £60,000-a-week wages and have him sit on the bench every week.

Beckham may be thrilled by the challenge ahead, but there is a growing belief that McManaman is set to be sacrificed, with sporting director Jorge Valdano revealing that Madrid's first-team squad for the upcoming season is likely to be trimmed to just 22 or 23 senior players.

That would mean offloading three or four players, with McManaman expected to follow Flavio Conceicao out of the club. Conceicao is set to join either Middlesbrough or Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan within days.

"I am not going to give names, the players know about it and that's enough for us," said Argentinian Valdano, a member of his country's victorious 1986 World Cup team.

"Our intention is that all the players that are to leave the team can do so with dignity and discretion.

"We do not want to make a show of the dismissals, because many of them have played an essential role over the past few seasons, so they deserve an honourable departure."

Valdano described Beckham as "a bit shy" but insisted he would blend into Madrid's squad due to the "universal language in football".

There is little question that Beckham will be an integral member of the Madrid team following his £25million transfer from Manchester United, with Valdano challenging the players to sweep the board in the next 12 months.

"We want to reach the highest possible level. If Real has been able to win two Ligas and two Champions Leagues over the past four years, our idea is to carry on fighting for the same objectives with just the same intensity and professionalism," he said.

"Now we are concentrating on the beginning of the tour, which is about to kick off. Our main concern is to get a starting line-up and then it will be the time for the necessary adjustments."

A security force has been hired to protect the players, but Valdano is aware that there is the prize of a huge PR coup on offer, with Madrid desperate to crack the Far East market.

He will urge players to keep signing autographs and make sure they reciprocate the polite and amiable approach of the local fans.

"We are aware that Real Madrid's arrival in Asia is a big event and security is one of our priorities. We are going to work hard and we hope our working time is respected," said Valdano.

"Then, there will be time to meet the fans. We hope the security forces do not hamper our contact with the people.

"Real Madrid is travelling to Asia to get closer to the fans, so our intention is to spend a lot of time with them."