David Beckham Withstands Grilling on ESPN

He may often get slighted for the tone of his voice, his wife, and some of his fashion and lifestyle choices, but credit must go to David Beckham for the way he handled himself during an intensive 10-minute interview held on ESPN.

Far more Jemery Paxman than Larry King, the female ESPN questioner fired the tough questions to "Goldenballs," pinning him down on putting his hand in his pocket to fund his AC Milan loan extension, forcing him to respond to Alexi Lalas’ claim that Beckham will be booed on his return to the LA Galaxy, and quizzing him on what the implications of the deal are towards to the MLS.

On his own financial commitment, Beckham admitted that he had invested some of his own earnings to make the deal happen before qualifying his actions saying that his football career has always been about the football, as opposed to money, and so this decision was a no-brainer.

On Lalas’ negative comments, Beckham claimed that 95 percent of LA Galaxy fans support him and, “while there be a far amount of criticism, and I can understand that,” he put the ball back in Lalas’ court.

Beckham said, “It’s a shame that certain people come out and add to that and give it more chance of happening, but at the end of the day I’m bigger than that, bigger than criticising people.”

On his commitment to the MLS and whether he will opt out of his final two years left on his contract with the Galaxy, the footballer did his best to reaffirm his ties to the MLS, saying he believes soccer will grow in the US.

Beckham also said he has every intention of seeing his commitment through with the Galaxy. However, he refused to deny that ensuring his participation in England’s 2010 World Cup campaign is paramount, thereby leaving his future playing options on the table.

Beckham’s tough question-and-answer session with ESPN can be seen here.