LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham holds out hope for a sensational return to Manchester United on-loan in January.
Beckham's departure from United was under something of a cloud, with the former England captain making a point of showing off stitches in a wound above his eye caused when Sir Alex Ferguson kicked a football boot in his direction in a fit of pique during a dressing-room bust-up. The relationship between the two men was uneasy for a period but the rapprochement started when Beckham returned to his former club for the first time earlier this year with AC Milan and the player described his former boss as "a scary man, but in a really good way".
On Sunday night, live in front of 12 million viewers, he went further, singling out Ferguson for a special thanks and endorsing him as the top manager in the game.
"For me, the best manager in football is Sir Alex Ferguson, who I still regard as a father figure after so many years," he said.
While there is no indication that United are one of the clubs following Beckham's situation, Ferguson has shown in the past that age is no barrier when it comes to signing world-class players.
Michael Owen's career was very much in its twilight at Newcastle when Ferguson made the shock offer to take him to Old Trafford and Laurent Blanc was approaching his 36th birthday when he moved to United in 2001.
With Owen Hargreaves and Antonio Valencia struggling, Beckham's arrival would be the ideal short-term fix for Ferguson's midfield.
