David Beckham's new employers Los Angeles Galaxy claimed the former England captain would command a bigger appeal in the United States than America's own ace golfer Tiger Woods or basketball legend Michael Jordan.
LA Galaxy boss Alexi Lalas said Beckham's star status would be such that the Americans would not have dealt with anything like it before.
"There will be interest in Beckham over here that exceeds everything else. The US will never have dealt with an athlete who has had this kind of international impact," Lalas said.
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"Tiger Woods has that international appeal but with due respect to Woods and Michael Jordan, David Beckham is at an entirely different level," he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror on Tuesday.
Beckham, ended his four-year career at Real Madrid with his first Spanish Primera Liga title on Sunday, now makes his way across the Atlantic to start his stint with the American Club.
He had stunned the world by announcing in January that he had signed a five-year deal, which could potentially be worth up to 250 million dollars, to move to California.
"Lalas watched on TV as Beckham won his first Spanish league championship with Real Madrid on Sunday and then predicted his arrival in California would have a seismic impact," the paper said.
The Galaxy are also bracing themselves for a media invasion when Beckham arrives in Los Angeles in the middle of next month.
"He has lived his life under incredible scrutiny and pressure, so to be going out winning a championship like this is wonderful."
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