David Beckham’s commercial team faces new challenge after Milan injury

Beckham move to Milan turned out in vain

LONDON — David Beckham’s loan moves from the Los Angeles Galaxy to AC Milan were solely to ensure he played for England at his fourth World Cup.

An Achilles’ tendon injury Sunday while playing for the Italian club means it is almost certain his international career is over, there will be no sign of Beckham bending free kicks in South Africa and those in charge of the millions he makes from commercial activities will have to rethink their plans.

An injury that happened with not a single opponent near him is a major blow for “brand Beckham,” which relies heavily on his ability to stay in the spotlight for soccer’s biggest events.

Beckham, who has played 115 times for England, earned $16.5 million from personal sponsorship deals during his first season with the Galaxy. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star was expected to be in Fabio Capello’s England squad as a substitute capable of making an impact with his trademark free kicks and accurate passes.

While most of the world’s greatest players prepare to go to South Africa, Beckham and his commercial advisers will be looking on, wondering what they can do to make an impact while he recovers. He receives a $5.5 million base salary from the Galaxy, but his absence from the World Cup could affect his image rights.

Beckham’s World Cup record has been is a mixture of highs and lows, and his expected absence is another twist.

His red card against Argentina in 1998 for petulantly kicking an opponent while lying on the ground was considered the main reason for England’s elimination, and he was pilloried by fans back home. But his penalty kick against the same team four year later made up for it.

When he limped off the field against Portugal at the 2006 World Cup, that appeared to be his final appearance. After an emotional farewell, however, he fought his way back into the team and no Englishman other than goalkeeper Peter Shilton has played more times.

Unless surgery produced an amazing recovery, Beckham’s best chance of being at the World Cup in South Africa appears to be as a TV analyst. More likely, he will be alongside wife Victoria, the former “Posh Spice,” in Los Angeles. For a committed English star, his inability to be with the team will hurt, especially after what he had done to stay there.

As a Galaxy player, Beckham was considered too far away from the hotly contested European leagues to guarantee a place on England’s roster. When MLS was in its final stages and his domestic club was no longer in contention in 2008, Beckham engineered a move to Milan to play alongside the stars Capello knew so well, having been the Italian club’s former coach.

Beckham only moved to Milan because Capello wanted him to play regularly in Europe, and he played impressively enough to make sure he was called up by England. Even as a late substitute in World Cup qualifying matches, he made enough appearances to break the record for an outfield player.

It all looked so promising for Beckham until he pulled up injured in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Chievo Verona.

On Wednesday, he received a standing ovation from the Manchester United fans on his return to Old Trafford for his first match there against Manchester United. The warmth of the welcome, even as an opposing Milan player in the Champions League, underlined his value as an England star and former Man United favorite.

As a player who turns 35 in May, however, Beckham always was in danger of sliding down the ladder of success while the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney overtook him as major stars.

When he returned to Old Trafford as a visitor, he appeared powerless as United won 4-0 to reach the quarterfinal of the Champions League as his own team was knocked out.

Then the injury against Chievo came totally unexpected. While it appears to take away a difficult decision from Capello, it gives Beckham’s commercial team a new game to play.