Yankee doodle DAVID?

'We plan on staying in America': David Beckham hopes to become a U.S. citizen

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 2:34 PM on 4th November 2010

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He's one of Britain's biggest stars, but David Beckham is so happy in America that he wants to become a U.S. citizen.

Beckham, who has lived in Beverly Hills since 2007, tells the Los Angeles Times that he has considered US citizenship.

'I hope so, one day,' he tells the newspaper. 'It would be nice.'

All America: David Beckham at the LA Lakers game in Los Angeles yesterday; he says he would like to become a U.S. citizen

But the 35-year-old Londoner says that, whatever happens, he will always be an Englishman.

'I'm English born and bred and that's the way I'll always be. I'm an Englishman, you know.'

The father-of-three, who plays for LA Galaxy, also says that he and his family, including Victoria Beckham, plan to stay in the US for the foreseeable future.

'Our boys go to school here. They're happy here,' he said of sons Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, five.

'As long as they continue to be happy here, my wife's happy here, then we plan on staying.'

Beckham's two oldest sons - Brooklyn and Romeo - were spotted singing the Star Spangled Banner at an LA Galaxy game in October.

The player's revelation comes as he speaks about winning the top football prize in the US, the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup.

The former Manchester United player - who has been criticised for his performance since arriving in the U.S. - said: 'It would definitely be one of the biggest things that I've ever won because of people saying: "What are you going to do?" and "What are you going to achieve?"

Family man: David and Victoria Beckham with their three sons; he says he will stay in America as long as his family is happy

'People are kind of expecting that to happen... There's always a satisfaction when you prove people wrong. I've been able to do that over the years.

'Yeah, it was great winning FA Cups, Champions League, playing in World Cups, winning [the Spanish] La Liga.

'But now I'm playing in a MLS team and the MLS Cup is the biggest thing in soccer in this country.

'So it's an exciting prospect.'

For the best part of 2010 Beckham has been prevented from playing because of a torn Achilles' tendon, which also kept him out the World Cup.

After eight months of rehabilitation, however, he is finally back on the pitch.

'Obviously with this kind of injury, I could have gone and sat on the beach and just said: "See you next season",' he said.

He adds: 'I find it hard to sit still and do nothing...but at the end of the day I need to rest my legs.

'Waking up in the morning, it still takes me a while to get the leg going and it's still pretty painful.'

Beckham has been credited with encouraging former Arsenal player Frenchman Thierry Henry to play in the US.

Henry, 33, currently plays for the New York Red Bulls.

'It used to be we had to go chase [European players]. We've had a lot people that are interested in coming now,' said Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the investor-operators of LA Galaxy.

Leiweke told the LA Times that Henry didn't commit to the League until talking to Beckham.

'David is a great ambassador,' he said. 'But he's more than just an ambassador. He can still play.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1326442/We-plan-staying-America-David-Beckham-wants-U-S-citizen.html#ixzz14KTc96Ef