Soccer: Beckham makes Spanish speaking debut

MADRID - England soccer captain David Beckham was given a spontaneous round of applause by journalists today when he made his first attempt at speaking Spanish in public at a Real Madrid news conference.

"El partido con Atletico was mucho mejor para todos (The game against Atletico was much better for all of us)," he stuttered nervously in a mixture of English and Spanish before analysing his side's recent victory over their city rivals.

Beckham blushed as he answered several questions in stilted Spanish but will have won over many people as he provided the first evidence that he was beginning to use the language.

The midfielder said Vanderlei Luxemburgo's appointment as coach had helped Real recover their confidence and that the Brazilian's arrival was one of the reasons Real had narrowed Barcelona's lead at the top of the table to seven points.

"We can still win the league," Beckham said.

"It's going to be difficult but we're getting better and we just have to keep working hard."

Real have won both their matches since Luxemburgo took charge of the team at the end of last month.

The former Manchester United player went on to address questions about his poor run of form in 2004.

"The criticism will always be there," he said.

"If you have a bad game your career is finished or you are too old even though you're only 29.

"I'm enjoying my football and I've still got five or six years left. Maybe it's not the best I have played but I suppose the European Championship didn't help with missing a couple of penalties.

"People said the reason I didn't play (well) was because of personal things in my life but I have just got to keep working hard."

Beckham made it clear he had no intention of returning to England in the immediate future and said he would be happy to extend his contract, which runs until 2007.

"It (a new contract) has not been mentioned to me yet but it has been in the papers. If I was to extend my contract here ... I would never complain. I'm very happy here."

The midfielder said he was relishing the challenge posed by Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips who has been touted as his possible replacement in the England side.

"I think it is great Shaun Wright-Phillips is playing the football he is," he said.

"I think he is one of the best young talents in England and in Europe. He deserves the chance he is obviously going to get with the England team.

"I don't pick the team, it is the manager who picks the team and if he (Sven-Goran Eriksson) wants to put me in the middle or if I stay on the right or Shaun plays somewhere else then that's fine by me.

"As England captain I'm pleased to see players like him ... and it's great that we have great young players coming through."

- REUTERS