LAUDERHILL, FLA. (WSVN) - Inter Miami CF co-owner and soccer icon David Beckham said the team is close to signing their first player, and he suggested that player will have star power.
Beckham made the announcement after he spent Sunday with young players at the Inter Miami Soccer Academy. One hundred and fifty players, all hand-picked, are currently being developed into potential future soccer stars.
As the sports legend continues to map out the future of Inter Miami’s first Major League Soccer season, he conceded it has not always been a smooth journey.
“Of course, there were frustrating moments, but I always knew it was worth it,” he said.
It’s taken Beckham and his group six years of legal fights and several stadium site proposals, but now they are looking forward to an exciting event calendar for 2020.
Inter Miami is scheduled to begin training camp in January, and two months later, the first of two seasons will kick off at a new 18,000-seat stadium at the former Lockhart Stadium site in Fort Lauderdale.
“There were promises made, and I always said that I’m not going anywhere,” said Beckham.
Beckham said he will be able to reveal the name of Inter Miami’s first player as early as July.
“We don’t want players just coming here at the end of their careers thinking, ‘Let’s go have a couple of years in Miami, and we’ll play a little bit of soccer,'” he said.
Last week, the franchise crossed another hurdle. Efforts are underway to replace the Melreese Golf Course with Miami Freedom Park, which will include a new 25,000-seat stadium.
“I would like to see Miami Freedom Park get a green light this summer. If we do that, we’ll be able to meet a timeline and schedule so we can play our 2022 season,” said Inter Miami majority team owner Jorge Mas.
Beckham remains the face of Inter Miami to promote the franchise. Just over a week ago, the 44-year-old played in a legends game for his former team Manchester United.
The star athlete said he relished being able to score a goal.
“I enjoyed the moment,” he said. “Could I still play? Yeah, maybe, I can still play.”
But when asked if that means a potential return to the game, Beckham nixed the idea. Sort of.
“I think it’s out of the question, but like we said, we’ll see how the signings go first,” he said, “and if we’re struggling, then you never know.”
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