Paulo Maldini has expressed his admiration for David Beckham after he completed his first training session.
Milan skipper impressed with Beckham after first training session
AC Milan captain Paulo Maldini has expressed his admiration for David Beckham after he completed his first training session with the club.
The former Manchester United player has joined Milan on a short-term loan during the Major League Soccer close season in a bid to maintain his fitness in preparation for England's forthcoming freindlies against Spain and Slovakia.
Beckham is due to return to LA Galaxy in March but with the MLS season finishing in October it means the midfielder has not played competitively for over two months.
Despite this fact, Maldini is confident that the 33-year-old will be match fit again soon after he joined up with the rest of the squad at a training camp in Dubai during the Italian winter break.
"Beckham is a great champion, but we shouldn't forget that he has come into a great team and a great club like Milan," he said.
"We players don't care what his life is like off the pitch, we have found a lad who has not trained for two-and-a-half months.
"But I have had the chance to talk to him and I noticed his determination and his great desire to put himself to work immediately to return to playing as soon as possible."
Impact
Beckham officially becomes a Milan player on 7th January and could make his debut in the Stadio Olimpico four days later against Roma.
Even though the former England skipper's stay with the club will be a brief one manager Carlo Ancelotti is confident he will play a big part.
"This morning he took part in his first training session with the team," he stated.
"I believe he is an important player and that he will give his contribution to Milan. He is a player who can play in all three roles in midfield and he has immediately put himself at the disposal of the group.
"This week away will be useful to evaluate his physical condition and then we will evaluate when it will be possible to use him in official games."
Meanwhile, Milan's club doctor Jean Pierre Meersseman has likened Beckham to Rossoneri legends Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta.
"He will be at his top level in 15-20 days," he declared.
"The tests which he did showed that he is already very good. He has an exceptional physique which will allow him, as happened to Maldini and Costacurta, to play for another five or six years."
