By Patrick McLachlan

 The coming of David Beckham at the Los Angeles Galaxy lineup a couple of years ago may not have provided a large amount success for the club itself, however it has absolutely raised the profile of the "beautiful game" in the United States.


David and Victoria brought together the VIP personality culture and the privileged sections of the footballing world in a way that had in no way been seen formerly in The United States. Previous to his appearance (in fact even at this moment), the eminent American soccer players may well only dream of making a part of the sky-high figures bandied about when Beckham's overall wages are mentioned
Nevertheless still, he seems to have had the desired influence of raising the sport at grassroots level, as well as in the celebrity world. This was emphasised by the huge crowds on show when Chelsea, AC Milan and Inter Milan appeared in America for a pre-season competition. Every game was played in front of a sell-out multitude. I seem to bring to mind over 100,000 being at one match concerning Chelsea, dwarfing the numbers

Read more: How David Beckham changed America's perception of "Soccer"