David Beckham

Los Angeles: David Beckham wants to play on two continents in two days next week as he begins juggling England duty with his Major League Soccer LA Galaxy commitment.

Beckham made his first start for the Galaxy on Wednesday, scoring with a free-kick and creating a goal for Landon Donovan in the 2-0 Superliga victory over DC United. He was to fly to the east coast for Saturday’s MLS match against the New York Red Bulls at the Giants Stadium. From there, he plans to depart for England to join coach Steve McClaren’s squad for a friendly against Germany on Wednesday at Wembley.

He wants to be back the following day in time for an MLS match against Chivas USA, the other Los Angeles club that shares the Galaxy’s Home Depot Center facility.

“I think I arrive back about noon, and we’ve got a game that evening,” said Beckham, whose has seen limited action in a month with the club due to a sore left ankle. “Hopefully I’ll be physically ready to play some part in that game as well. Hopefully it will all be good.”

Beckham played 63 minutes against United before he was replaced on Wednesday. He immediately put ice on his sore ankle and said he had further treatment immediately after the match.

“I had to have my legs flushed through and get any of the little knots that were actually in my legs,” Beckham said. “This was the first time I’ve been on the field in eight weeks or done any sort of running like that. I had to get some treatment... The ankle was a lot better than I actually thought it was going to be. After 10 minutes, it all cleared up.”

Beckham reiterated that despite the demanding travel, he believed the Galaxy firmly backed his desire to play for England. “There is no conflict, and for the club it’s not a conflict,” he said. “They made me well aware that they would do anything to help me play for my country, and they know how passionate I feel about playing for my country. So everyone is working together, and I think that is important. Everyone has got to be on the same page.”

Beckham said he was pleased with how well his ankle held up in Wednesday’s victory. “I was happy to get an hour on the pitch. I didn’t expect to last an hour. It felt great after 10 minutes into the game. My confidence got up with my ankle, and I felt great.”

Beckham also said he felt at home with the switch from the right wing to central midfield for the Galaxy. “I’m always comfortable with changing positions or playing in the middle or playing on the right,” he said. “I played most of my first season with Real Madrid in the middle and I played the European Cup final for Manchester United in the middle, so I am comfortable with that position.”

Meanwhile, Donovan has said that he was stunned by Beckham’s five-star performance in his first start for Galaxy. “I know it seems almost silly to keep talking about him because he’s only one player, but he makes a big difference and it’s not just the goal,” Donovan said.

“It’s his leadership, his ability to get us out of pressure situations. If the ball comes to him and he can’t make the right pass or the right play, he puts the ball in a spot where it gets us out of pressure and puts them under pressure.

“He’s smart,” said Donovan, who is widely regarded as the most gifted player to come from the US. “Physically, he’s better than people think, and he’s not even fit yet.

“He moves well and gets around the ball defensively. He gets in good spots and makes subtle plays and breaks up plays, and that makes a big difference in the game. Him playing makes us better, clearly.”

(Agencies)