Beckham says Messi needs time to adjust to MLS

FORT LAUDERDALE: Even though Major League Soccer is a “different level” from European football, David Beckham thinks Lionel Messi will need time to adjust.

After signing a two-and-a-half-year contract, Inter Miami co-owner Beckham watched Messi train for the first time on Tuesday.

After joining on Saturday, former Barcelona and Argentina coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino led Sergio Busquets’ training session at the club’s facilities.

“Leo’s still going to need, no matter how good he is, no matter what his stature is, he and Sergio are going to need time to adapt no matter,” added the Englishman.

“They might surprise us, we might start winning every single game, but we have to be patient,” he remarked.

Beckham said the Argentine may not start Friday’s Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, so Miami fans may need to be patient.

“Leo will play some part of the game but that will be down to the coach (and) it’ll be down to Leo to decide if he’s ready because we know that he’s been away for a few weeks with his family but he looks sharp, he looks great but he’s going to need time to adapt as well,” Beckham said.

When he joined the Galaxy in 2007, Beckham was the biggest name to join MLS, which had 13 teams instead of 29 now and a much lesser calibre of play.

Beckham noted one thing had not altered.

“When I arrived, everyone thought LA would win everything. “LA will win every game, 7-0, 8-0,” he claimed.

The Galaxy missed the playoffs in Beckham’s first two seasons.

LA finished last in the Western Conference in 2007 and 2008, then were MLS Cup finalists in 2009 before winning in 2011 and 2012.

“Those first two years for me, it was a challenge, getting used to everything, bringing the club and the league to be a little bit more professional, but things changed very quickly,” he remarked.