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Beckham a player-owner?

Miami - Former England captain David Beckham has indicated that he could come out of retirement to play for the Major League Soccer team he is aiming to launch in Miami.

The 39-year-old hung up his boots last year after winning the French league title with Paris St Germain, bringing the curtain down on a 20-year career, but he clearly misses playing.

"There's never been a player-owner but maybe?" Beckham said in a BBC One documentary that follows the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder on an 800-mile, 12-day trip into the Amazon rainforest by motorbike, canoe and plane.

In the programme 'David Beckham: Into the Unknown' which will be aired on June 9, he admitted having "a tough time" after quitting playing but following what he described as "a stage of enjoying the rest" he is considering coming out of retirement.

"Now I go to watch a basketball game and, when you are watching athletes play at the top of their game, it gives me that itch again and I want to be back in the game and I start thinking to myself 'Could I play again? Could I go back? Could I come out of retirement and start playing again?'" he said.

Beckham, who has 115 England caps and also played for AC Milan on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS, where he was based for five years until the end of 2012, is planning to start an American soccer franchise in Miami.

Beckham and his business partners last month unveiled a plan for a stadium on downtown Miami's waterfront after the original site, at the city's port, ran into political opposition. There will be a referendum on the new proposal in November.

The proposed 20 000 to 25 000-seat stadium would be part of an expanded park area close to the Miami Heat basketball arena.

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