Beckham To Found Anglo-American Academy
Wednesday, August 18, 2004

David Beckham is set to found a trans-Atlantic soccer academy for youngsters.

Plans are in place for David Beckham Youth Soccer Academies to open across the globe if two initial sites, in London and Los Angeles, are a success.

As well as being a figurehead for the schools, the England captain will be directly involved.

Details are yet to be mapped out, but the star could hand-pick and direct a team of top coaches.

A spokesman for Beckham said: “The official launch will take place in December.

“This is David’s project. He started out at Bobby Charlton’s soccer schools as a kid and thrived there.

“He has always wanted to give something to back to the kids, for them to learn football.

“David will be very much at the heart of the project – his involvement will be very hands on.”

The academies, which could open next spring or summer, will be funded by marketing giant AEG.

Beckham’s status in the United States received a recent boost when he became the first UK sportsman to grace the cover of American style magazine Vanity Fair.

The film Bend it Like Beckham was also a massive box office hit in the US.

But the footballer and wife Victoria have yet to claim the same mega-star status in the US that they have in the rest of the world.

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