Roberto Carlos Reportedly Set to Manage David Beckham's MLS Team in Miami

David Beckham has reportedly singled out his former Real Madrid team-mate Roberto Carlos as the man to manager his Miami franchise.

That’s according to Dani Hidalgo of AS, who wrote that while the team is not scheduled to become a part of Major League Soccer until 2018, plenty of planning is being done. It’s said part of that planning is to find a manager, and the legendary Brazil left-back is on Beckham’s shortlist.

Carlos is currently in charge of Indian Super League outfit Delhi Dynamos. During his time with Los Blancos, he was revered as the best full-back in world football, winning the UEFA Champions League three times and La Liga four times with the capital club. Additionally, he represented Brazil a whopping 125 times, winning the World Cup in 2002.

AFP/Getty Images

Hidalgo adds further colour to the reasons why Beckham thinks the 42-year-old is the right man to take on what’ll no doubt be a difficult job.

“He [Beckham] has always attributed great importance to the ability of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti to place themselves in their charges' shoes,” he says. “Carlos meets that requirement, and has now built up four years of coaching experience. On top of that, his image fits the bill.”

Indeed, it’s suggested Carlos would be a popular choice among the region’s Hispanic community and the estimated 44,000 Brazilians who live in Miami and its suburbs.

Of course, the former defender's name carries a significant amount of clout, too. Here is a reminder of why he was such a special footballer:

However, it seems as though Carlos may not have been the first choice for the position. The same source reports that according to AS USA, Beckham initially had his former Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes top of his wishlist, although that appointment seems unlikely “due to his lack of draw in the Latin American market.”

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The wheels are now well in motion when it comes to the Miami franchise. As the MLS Twitter feed notes here, with an accompanying picture, the space has been isolated for a stadium to be built:

Beckham and Carlos played at Madrid together for four years during the Galacticos era, giving Los Blancos two of the world’s most potent free-kick options at the time. 

The Brazilian has accrued a lot of coaching experience since retiring from football, although he has failed to shine in any of his managerial roles as of yet. Prior to taking on the job with Delhi in India, he had a small spell as interim manager with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, then spells in Turkey with Sivasspor and Akhisar Belediyespor.