23 November 2023 , 23:12
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David Beckham has revealed that he attended Inter Miami's training sessions at 7am when Lionel Messi was first signed to the MLS team in a bid to impress the World Cup winner.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder admitted that he "loves to watch him train" and arrived early in order to prove his "commitment" to the club as a gesture to the new superstar signing.
Messi signed for Inter Miami back in July on a two-and-a-half year contract. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner made the move after a turbulent two year spell at Paris Saint-Germain where he won two consecutive Ligue 1 titles.
The 36-year-old was joined by former Barcelona duo Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in a bid to raise the club's profile and guide Miami to success. But it was Messi's arrival that saw Beckham pull out all the stops.
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The 48-year-old played an instrumental role in helping to sign Messi to Miami following his agreement to part ways with PSG. The team's co-owner previously revealed to having sneaked into the football icon's hotel in a bid to convince him to join the side, and has since admitted to going to new lengths in order to prove his commitment to the team.
Speaking to The Times, Beckham claimed that he arrived at training at 7am in the days following Messi's arrival just to watch him train with the team.
"Firstly, I wanted to be in before Leo to show him I was there and the commitment I have to the team and the club," Beckham said. "But it was also important for me to enjoy this moment after all the hard work.
A match made in heaven: Beckham and Messi (Getty)"I wanted to see him come in, see him go about everything he does so professionally, setting an example to all the young kids here. He is a superstar, but the most humble superstar. And I just love to watch him train. Anyone who has seen him live knows he’s different, special. People said he might need time to fit in. It took him seconds."
The six-time Premier League winner with Manchester United went on to reveal that it was always his goal to bring the best players to Miami. Previous signings have included former Juventus duo Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi, but neither were as high-profile as Messi.
"I promised the fans and people of Miami that I wanted to bring some of the best players in the world,' Beckham went on to add. "I am sure every owner says that but, from day one, he was the dream player I wanted to bring to Miami. I see him in our kit, I watch him train and play, and I can’t believe that we have Lionel Messi in our club."
Messi's influence at Miami has been instantaneous since his arrival to the team. The World Cup winner scored an inch-perfect freekick on his debut against Cruz Azul and went on to score 11 goals and register five assists in just 11 games. The Argentine was also instrumental in helping guide the team to its first-ever trophy - the Leagues Cup.