Even by the standards of the Premier League’s January transfer window, it was a striking signing.
The picture of Romeo Beckham signing a deal at Brentford, with his famous father perched proudly on his shoulder, to spend the rest of the season on loan from Inter Miami II will certainly make waves well beyond West London. caused
✍️ Romeo Beckham x Brentford #Brentford B | | #Brentford FC pic.twitter.com/qEH1Pimhis
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 6, 2023
So is 20-year-old Beckham really close to fulfilling his dream of following in his father’s illustrious footsteps? athletic Unlock this unlikely deal and find out what clubs and players can get out of it.
What are Beckham’s strengths as a footballer?
For former Manchester United midfielder and England captain David’s second eldest son, and his pop star to fashion mogul wife, Victoria’s Romeo Beckham, this is an important opportunity to gain experience. Beckham spent his growing up years at Arsenal’s academy but was released in 2015 at the age of 12.
“The other day Romeo turned around and said he didn’t want to play football anymore,” David told Radio Times in 2015. He has other passions and I like them. ”
Beckham took tennis lessons from Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov, and his modeling career began with a campaign for Burberry. In 2020, he decided to return to football and a year later joined Fort Lauderdale, the reserve side of Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.
David co-owned Inter Miami and it was impossible to avoid accusations of nepotism. His son Harvey also plays as a substitute for them.
However, Beckham did well in the inaugural season of MLS Next Pro with the reserve team, which was renamed Inter Miami II last February. They missed the playoffs after he finished 6th in the Eastern his conference, but Beckham recorded his 10 assists. In July, he stepped off the bench in the senior side when he faced Barcelona in a friendly.
Why did he leave Inter Miami for Brentford’s B team?
Brentford launched the B team project in 2016 after closing the academy. The club was frustrated with spending £1.5m a year to run a Category 2 level academy.
Brentford’s B team do not play in the league and organize their own matches against a variety of opponents. Many of their players are picked up after being released from other clubs’ academies.
Last season, the B team took part in the Atlantic Cup, with then-Denmark champions Brøndby, Iceland’s Breidablik and Sweden’s Halmstads, captained by former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas. team and won in London. senior cup.
Brentford reopened their academy last summer, partly due to Premier League rules, but kept the B team as they see it as an important avenue for players wanting to break into Thomas Frank’s senior squad. .
Working with Brentford B provides Beckham with a unique education. He’s used to playing football in the Miami sunshine, but in the next few months he’ll be tormented by beefy defenders on hard-shaking pitches in freezing cold at out-of-league clubs across England. You’ll have to get used to it.
What is the relationship between the Beckhams and the Brentfords?
David joined Brentford in the summer of 2019 as Director of Recruitment and was introduced to Lee Dykes, who rose to influence with his promotion to Technical Director last June, and the two have kept in touch ever since. . David brought up the idea of Romeo working with his B team during a conversation with Dykes.
With the Inter Miami II season ending in September, he thought it would be a good time for his son to keep fit while he was in London before his next campaign. Romeo first joined his B-his team in October and the initial plan was always for him to return to Inter’s Miami II.
Romeo Beckham (center) impresses Inter Miami’s second team (Photo: Mark Brown/Getty Images)
However, Brentford B team head coach Neil McFarlane and his assistant Sam Saunders were very impressed with Romeo’s quality and demeanor. Although he was not on trial, he was dedicated and worked hard during training. attended the session.
Romeo quickly developed strong relationships with the B Team players and was seen watching their games from the stands. John PSV and John AZ tagged Romeo despite being unable to play when he traveled to Holland for a tour that included a match against Alkmaar. Over Christmas, he went to Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland in fancy costumes with goalkeeper Loco Reese and midfielder Roy Cyra.
Romeo has also been spotted in a number of first-team matches, including last Monday’s 3-1 win over Liverpool, while his father was at the Carabao Cup against Gillingham in November. Due to his performance in training, Brentford and Inter Miami have discussed the possibility of him staying on loan until June, and after all parties have agreed, David has agreed to complete his deal. I visited the training ground.
McFarlane said on the club’s official website: “Since Romeo has been with us, we have been very pleased.”Romeo has applied himself incredibly well. and the group and he’s a big part of it, I love his standards and the way he behaves on and off the pitch.
“He has been getting fitter and better during his time with us and now that he has joined us on loan he is in a good place to move forward. He’s a player who can move and cross, he’s also a really good finisher and has the ability to play a lot of positions for us.
“As a club and as a B team, Inter Miami have asked us to work with him, proving that we trust them to continue working with him to help him develop. I think that there.”
Brentford impressed with Beckham’s demeanor during training (Photo: Mark Brown/Getty Images)
How fast will he play and will he make it to the first team?
Romeo could make his official debut for the B team on Tuesday night when he faces Ellis and Belvedere in the second round of the London Senior Cup. However, the club is still waiting for him to receive international recognition.
Over the past few seasons, several members of the B team have broken into the senior squad. Mats Roaslev worked for McFarlane when he joined Brentford from Copenhagen in 2019, making over 30 Premier League appearances. Ryan Trevitt is a current member of the B team and came off the bench as a substitute in Brentford’s 1-0 FA Cup loss to West Ham on Saturday.
If Romeo does well on the B team, nothing prevents him from breaking into Frank’s plans.
“I like it (so far),” Beckham said in an interview with the club. “They are very nice and full of energy. I love coming to see them every day and it’s fun to train with them every day.
“They are all very talented players and they drive me to better myself. Some of them give me some kicks and I give them back but We all work hard to better ourselves, and our coaches drive that forward.
“I love that I have the opportunity to play at different levels, both abroad and here. I want to load up and strengthen my physical.
Cynics argue that Beckham’s loan move was a publicity stunt and without his famous last name, it never would have happened.
But while it’s true that David may have used his connections to open Romeo’s doors in Brentford, his son appears to have taken the chance to build a reputation for himself.
(Top photo: Romeo and David Beckham at the Brentford training ground, via Instagram)
