BY ADAM SERRANO
David Beckham is heading back to Manchester.
The LA Galaxy have decided to allow David Beckham to return to Manchester on Tuesday to play in Gary Neville's testimonal against Juventus and skip the Galaxy match against Houston on Wednesday.
The match will be Beckham's first match in a Manchester United uniform since leaving the club in 2003 to join Spanish giant Real Madrid and it will be the third time that Beckham has missed a match this season.
Beckham has drawn a great deal of criticism for missing time with the Galaxy in the past, but made an assertion after the match that the Galaxy are supportive of him missing the match against Houston on Wednesday. Following the club's 1-0 victory over Chivas USA, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena stated that the decision was his, not Beckham's.
"That decision has been made. It’s my responsibility so if you want to throw darts, the darts should be thrown at me," said Arena. "I’m the person that has to accept the responsibility with that decision and I think it’s the right one to make."
During his postgame press conference, Arena stated that the Galaxy were planning to rest Beckham in the Houston match regardless of this request as the midfielder picked up a thigh injury in the club's victory over Sporting KC last week.
The relationship that the two former members of Manchester United is a long one that stretches back to their teenage days. Neville was Beckham's best man for his wedding and the pair have remained close since coming up together in the Manchester United youth system.
Beckham has taken a great deal of criticism, the midfielder -- who on Saturday took a share of the league lead in assists -- fired back by stating that it was very important to be at the match for Neville
“To be there for him, for his family, that's important,” Beckham said. “Because it was such an important era for us and for Manchester United, and if Sir Alex Ferguson hadn't given us the chance when we were all young, we wouldn't have been able to create what we all created.”
Beckham stated that he believes that his hard-nosed former coach would have had the same response as his current one, simply out of respect for the history that exists between the former players.
“He would have done it, without a doubt. Without a doubt,” Beckham said. “Because he knows the history, he knows that when you play in a club for so many years, and it's special to people, it's soccer. It's sports. People respect that. "
The Galaxy midfielder will likely not play more than a half in the match due to travel and the Galaxy match on the weekend. Following the testimonal, Beckham will travel back to Boston where he will meet up with the Galaxy squad that will take on the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday.
