Beckham wishes he had never left United

DAVID BECKHAM admits he wishes he had never left Manchester United as he prepares to head back to Old Trafford with new club AC Milan in the Champions League’s last 16 in March.

Beckham says he envies former team-mate Ryan Giggs, who has stayed his whole career at the club while Beckham’s path took him to Real Madrid then to the Los Angeles Galaxy, while he is now preparing for a second loan spell with Milan.

Beckham told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek: “I’d have loved to have stayed at Manchester United for my whole career and never gone anywhere else but it just wasn’t meant to be. It takes a special person and a player to stay at a club for so many years. Ryan’s been there for so many years now and he’ll be part of Manchester United for life – he’s a Manchester boy and it runs through his blood.

“I’m so honoured to have played with Ryan through the years I did and to know him as a person and a player.”

Meanwhile, Beckham insists he is taking nothing for granted despite England boss Fabio Capello’s assertion this week the former captain will almost certainly be a part of his 2010 World Cup squad.

Beckham said: “I’ve never expected anything. I know I have to play quite a lot for AC Milan. I’m prepared to do that. Everybody knows I’m prepared to work hard to be part of the England squad. I’ve always been very positive and I’ve always said I want to be available for England whether I’m in the team or not. I’m passionate about playing for my country and I always want to be a part of the England squad.”

Meanwhile, Beckham hailed the influence of Capello since his appointment as England boss and said the Italian had given an “arrogance” to the squad ahead of their World Cup campaign. Beckham said: “He’s brought many things. He’s brought arrogance, but in a good way – the players go onto the field and they’re confident, they believe they’re going to win.

“It’s not an arrogance where we think we’re going to win everything, but he’s given us that confidence which is the biggest thing we might not have had in the past.

“He’s brought a real seriousness to the team and a real professional side which was needed. He’s a person and an individual that scares you – scared in a way that you really respect these managers,” drawing comparisons between 63-year-old Capello and the AC Milan star’s mentor at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson.

“You really respect these managers. Sir Alex brought me up and was a father figure to me, I’ve got a huge amount of respect for him and the same for Fabio.

“They are two managers who don’t just manage teams, they love football. That’s why they’ve been successful and why they’re still in the game now.”

Meanwhile, Football Supporters’ Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke has called for the game to come together to restore the “magic” of the FA Cup.

Saturday’s third-round ties failed to produce a shock and instead attention was primarily focused on the low attendances at many of the games.

Wigan’s all-Premier League match against Hull particularly stood out, with the Latics’ 4-1 victory watched by only 5,335 fans at the DW Stadium – more than 13,000 down on their average attendance in the top flight.

Sheffield Wednesday’s defeat by Crystal Palace at Hillsborough drew a crowd of 8,690 compared with 22,373 for a league game, while Middlesbrough’s tie with big-spending Manchester City saw only 12,474 of its nearly 35,000 seats occupied.