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Beckham backs Giggs for United's top job

Manchester - David Beckham on Tuesday backed his former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs to take over as manager at Old Trafford one day.

Giggs, 41, is currently assistant manager to Louis van Gaal and Beckham, who played alongside the Welshman for 11 years, believes it will not be long before he has the top job all to himself.

"I have always said that Giggsy has this streak running through him that you see in top managers," Beckham said.

"I saw it as a player. He is so determined and when you have got someone like that at a club like this, someone who is from this part of the world and knows so much about this club -- it's so embedded into him -- it means so much to fans, so I hope that at some point Giggsy does take over.

"It might not be for the next five or 10 years, but at some point it would be amazing for the fans to have him. To have Giggsy sat on the line preparing himself to become a manager is exciting."

Beckham, 40, was speaking at a press conference at Old Trafford to preview a UNICEF charity match that he is taking part in there on November 14.

Beckham will captain a Great Britain team coached by former United manager Alex Ferguson, who retired in 2013, in a match against a Rest of the World XI managed by ex-Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.

It will be the first time that Beckham will play under Ferguson since the Scot sold him to Real Madrid in 2003.

Ferguson criticised Beckham in his most recent autobiography, but the pair are now on good terms and the former England captain said that his one-time mentor had jumped at the chance to return to the Old Trafford touchline.

"Bringing the boss back to the dug-out means so much to so many people and thankfully we will be doing that," said Beckham, who revealed that 60,000 tickets had already been sold for the game.

"I spoke to him personally and he was more than happy to (get involved). My relationship with the manager was always great despite what people say, despite the couple of ups and downs which we had."

Ferguson famously left Beckham with a cut above his left eye after kicking a boot at him following an FA Cup loss to Arsenal in 2003.

When asked about the incident, Beckham smiled and said: "Maybe it's one of the things we can recreate. Someone mentioned that to me the other day. We will see."

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