LONDON ? David Beckham wishes he had stayed with Manchester United for his entire career and not left in 2003 for Real Madrid, the former England captain said Sunday. Beckham will return to Old Trafford as a player for the first time when his club AC Milan play the second leg of the Champions League knockout-round tie against United on March 10. ?I would love to have stayed at Manchester United for my whole career and never gone anywhere else - but it was just not meant to be,? Beckham said in an interview on BBC Sportsweek. ?I went to Real Madrid and in the last year we were successful so I enjoyed that time, but I would like to have stayed at Manchester United.? Beckham moved to Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007 and has now started his second loan spell at Milan in a bid to win a place in England?s World Cup squad this year. The midfielder said he felt envious of his former teammates Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, who came through the United youth ranks with Beckham and have stayed at the club. ?I am sure they will all try and kick me if they can because we were together for so many years and we were so successful together,? Beckham said. ?Off the field we became best friends and that?s why we became so successful at a club like Manchester United. Beckham said going back to Old Trafford would be an emotional occasion. ?Manchester United is so special to me and I have never been back as a player - so to go back seven years after as an AC Milan player it doesn?t get much more perfect than that and it is an experience I want to cherish. But I?d like us to win, us being AC Milan.? ? Reuters __
