England captain David Beckham will enjoy an emotional return to his spiritual home when he leads his country out against Liechtenstein at Old Trafford on Wednesday.The former Manchester United midfielder, who joined Spanish champions Real Madrid for up to Euros 35 million ($37.86 million) in July, has not set foot on the pitch since a post-match kick-around with his son Brooklyn last May. But Old Trafford holds precious memories for the 28-year-old, and not just for the many trophies he won during his nine years as a first-team regular there.“I’ve moved on.I’m enjoying the new experience of playing in a different country, in a different league with different players,” Beckham said. “But I was happy playing with the players at Manchester United. They’re my friends and I regarded them as my family.”The Old Trafford ground is also the scene of some of his greatest footballing achievements. Performances which have elevated him to god-like status among England supporters and enhanced his standing on the world stage. Fans at Old Trafford now hope that, if they can’t hero worship him at Old Trafford, then the least they can do is hero worship him for 90 minutes on Wednesday night. The fans have many magic moments to savour, from Beckham’s breakthrough goal when he chipped Wimbledon keeper Neil Sullivan from the half-way line at Selhurst Park in London in 1996 to his two goals after coming on as a substitute in United’s Champions League quarter-final aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in April. (Reuters)
