Beckham sits in for Arsenal

What on earth was David Beckham doing at Arsenal's home game against Birmingham City on Saturday? Beckham watched the game at the Emirates Stadium with his eldest son Brooklyn, and having once been linked to the north London club before he left Real Madrid for Los Angeles, fans may have thought he was Arsenal-bound.

No such luck. The former England captain is spending January training with the club at their state-of-the-art complex in London Colney, Herts - not far from his house - while his current team, LA Galaxy, takes a break. Beckham hopes to stay fighting fit as he bids to return to the team for England's international friendly against Switzerland next month.

Should the national team’s new boss Fabio Capello choose Beckham for that game, the 32-year-old will have reached 100 caps for his country - a landmark that only four players have reached before. (Continued below)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he will not allow Beckham’s training time to become a "media circus". "We don't want to make something complicated out of something that is very simple," said Wenger. "He doesn't live far away" - Beckingham Palace is just miles from London Colney - "and has always loved Arsenal. That's why we help him."