‘Not a PR stunt’ – Why Brentford signed Romeo Beckham as son of Man Utd legend David has to be ‘held back’

• Youngster spending time on loan with Bees
• Contracted to MLS side Inter Miami
• Following in footsteps of famous father

WHAT HAPPENED? The 20-year-old, who is contracted to MLS side Inter Miami – the Florida-based franchise that his dad co-owns – is taking in a loan spell with the Bees during the 2022-23 campaign. Beckham linked up with the Bees in January and scored a 93rd-minute free-kick for their B team in February that drew comparisons with his famous father. There were suggestions when Beckham arrived in England that Brentford were merely looking to buy into his name and the attention that brings, but director of football Phil Giles insists that is not the case.

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WHAT THEY SAID: He has told The High Performance Podcast: “We brought Romeo in on a loan from Inter Miami for our B team and it was one of the most read stories that day on the website. It wasn't a PR stunt in any way. The thought that went into Romeo is that we have relationships in football, he was looking for places to train in England as he's an Inter Miami player. We said of course but still didn't look past the process of, is he going to add to that environment as a player? Had he come in and been like, 'I'm a Beckham,' that would have been a disaster for us. The character has to be correct.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Beckham has caught the eye at Brentford, with his commitment to continuous improvement leading to him having to be reined in at times. Giles added: “He's a humble guy, good work ethic, good mindset, wants to work extra hours on the training ground and sometimes has to be held back from that.”

IN TWO PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT? Beckham made his professional debut in September 2022 and has figured in non-competitive friendly games for Inter Miami, while scoring two goals through 20 appearances for their reserve team.