Ryan Giggs says Manchester United sold David Beckham to Real Madrid as the former England skipper was “arguing every week” and “it was getting too much”.
Beckham was sold to Real Madrid in 2003 after a turbulent final season which included the infamous dressing room bust-up with Sir Alex Ferguson after losing 2-0 at home to Arsenal in the FA Cup.
Also Read: Premier League Set To Resume In June As Govt Gives Go Ahead To Season Restart
Beckham was left needing stitches after Ferguson accidentally struck him with a flying boot.
Netherland duo Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam were all sold after disagreements with Ferguson.
But Beckham was perhaps the most high profile departure when he switched to the Bernabeu for £25million.
It seems the then 28-year-old’s potential exit had been bubbling away for much his final campaign due to a series of run-ins between Ferguson and Beckham.
And Giggs reckons the split was best for everyone involved when it finally happened.
When asked about the former Red Devils boss’ tendency to axe big names, the Welshman told beIN SPORTS: “I think the majority of the time it was for football reasons.
“It was to get someone in or the player maybe losing that influence. Or it was just the time.
“The likes of David Beckham it was getting too much, where he was arguing every other week really and it was just time for both parties to move and that happened on a few occasions.”
Beckham enjoyed a successful spell in Spain, winning La Liga once, scoring 20 goals and providing 51 assists from 159 games before heading off to the MLS.
In his 2013 autobiography, Ferguson said: “In his final season with us, we were aware that David’s work rate was dropping and we had heard rumours of a flirtation between Real Madrid and David’s camp.”
“The main issue was that his application level had dropped from its traditionally stratospheric level.”
While Giggs was often on the receiving end of Ferguson’s brutal tirades, he managed to escape the exit door, though admitted he had come close to parting ways around the time that Becks did.
He added: “Around 2003/2004 I didn’t have a great start to the season. It was the summer that David Beckham went, that was the probably the closest that I had got to going,
“My form wasn’t great, and it was the transition period where I’ve gone from flying winger to coming in a little bit more inside. I’d lost that pace. He [Ferguson] actually never really said it.
“I ended the season quite strong. If I hadn’t, who knows.”
Giggs went on to make the most appearances of all time for the Red Devils’ with 963 games in 23 years for the club.
Copyright © 2024 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.
COMMENTS