Patience key says Beckham as Miami reboot for MLS season

MIAMI: David Beckham insists patience is key as the former England captain enters his third season as an owner this weekend following a difficult start in Major League Soccer for his Inter Miami franchise.

Beckham has seen the team he purchased for a cut price US$25 million as part of the deal to join the LA Galaxy in 2007 - teams are now valued upwards of US$400 million - struggle to reach the stellar heights of his own playing days.

Beckham's high standards - and a fierce desire to win - remain yet with former team-mate, and old friend, Phil Neville working in tandem with experienced sporting director Chris Henderson, Miami appear to have suitably rebooted after winning just 12 times last season.

Myriad problems on and off the field in south Florida have caused all manner of distractions yet the 46-year-old is keeping the faith.

"What we have learned from the last few years is to have a little bit of patience," Beckham told reporters in a Zoom call on Friday ahead of Saturday's MLS opener against the Chicago Fire.

"My wife will say I don't have much but as an owner, and someone that has high expectations , you have to have a little bit of patience. I've needed it over the last eight years to bring this club into this great city and into this league.

"And in the last two years, I have had to learn to have even more.

"Everybody knows the expectations and pressures that we have. Yes, the last couple of years haven't lived up to exactly what we wanted. But I think when we step back and look at the last eight years, I'm very proud of what we've achieved."

With allocated transfer money reduced following a lengthy MLS investigation into the signing of Blaise Matuidi, the French World Cup winning midfielder, the task of attempting to