BECKHAM: I SHOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN NEW BOOK
Manchester United and England midfielder David Beckham launched his autobiography yesterday at the age of 23 and then said he shouldn't have done it! The extraordinary claim from the Beck man highlighted how much control he has over his own life but even then he wouldn't admit he was doing too much promotional work.
'I wasn't even thinking about books or videos during the season as the most important thing is my football," said Beckham, less than 24 hours after the season finished! "Nothing gets in the way of that - no books, no videos, nothing else - football is the important thing.''
Rumours that Beckham has requested 15 days off in his new contract for commercial activities, something that must have gone down a flier with Alex Ferguson, have get to be proved. In fact, Becks was given the week off by Fergie and rested from the game at Barnsley on Sunday to reduce the amount of time he spends playing football between May and the start of next season.
While you might have thought Beckham would at least wait until after the World Cup to 'write' his 'autobiography' is he known for his literary skills? the dollar signs were already fluttering in his agent's eyes. Is it possible Dave didn't type it all himself?
''It's quite hard to believe that I've actually got a book out as I'm only 23 and although I've done quite a bit in my career I don't really think that it's enough really to warrant me bringing the book out." Exactly.
Anyway, the Brylcreemed Lord of Leytonstone did pay tribute to Arsenal's achievement in securing the title but admitted that United had also been to blame in throwing away their chances of a third successive championship.
''We've lost a lot of important games during the season which we shouldn't have lost," he said. "The manager turned round to us and told us that if we did lose seven games then we wouldn't win the League and that's proved to be right,'' said Beckham. ''But you can't take anything away from Arsenal. They've done well, they're a good team and if you win 10 games in a row under that sort of pressure then you deserve to win the League.''

IRISH OPT FOR THOSE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE
After last week's great success for Ireland's Under-16 team in the European Championship, Republic of Ireland Under-21 boss Ian Evans has gone for a mixture of experience and local passion going into next week's triangular tournament with Scotland and Northern Ireland.
He's called back Leeds duo Ian Harte and Alan Maybury, Feyenoord striker David Connolly and West Brom winger Kevin Kilbane from the senior squad to join first-time League of Ireland players Alan Murphy, Brian Barry-Murphy, Willie Byrne, Thomas Morgan and Colin Hawkins.
The tournament opens on Monday, May 18 when the Republic meet Scotland in Ballybofey, County Donegal (kick-off 7.30pm). On the following Wednesday,
Northern Ireland then take on the Scots in Sligo (5.00pm). The tournament ends on Friday, May 22 when the Republic take on Northern Ireland in Castlebar (7.30pm).
Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad: O'Connor (Huddersfield), Delaney (Everton), Worrell (Blackburn), Ryan (Millwall), Cummins (Middlesbrough), Morgan (St Patrick's), Mahon (Tranmere), Fenn (Tottenham), Hawkins (St Patrick's), Burns (Nottm Forest), Boxall (Crystal Palace), Grant (Stockport), Baker (Middlesbrough), Sheerin (Chelsea), Inman (Peterborough), Murphy (Drogheda), Barry-Murphy (Cork), Byrne (Cobh), Connolly (Feyenoord), Harte (Leeds), Maybury (Leeds), Kilbane (West Brom).

FANS FEAR KENDALL QUITTING AGAIN
Everton fans fear that Howard Kendall could walk away from Goodison for a third time this summer if under-fire chairman Peter Johnson does not loosen the purse strings. Supporters who flooded onto the rain-sodden Goodison turf at the end of the Sunday's game gathered beneath the directors' box and chanted, 'We want Johnson out' and Kendall is also fast losing patience with his employer, according to Phil Redmond, co-editor of leading fanzine When Skies Are Grey. "I wouldn't be surprised if Howard goes before the start of the season," said Redmond. "If he's not backed with money, we wouldn't blame him if he left and said he'd didn't want to be the scapegoat just because they won't put up the money.
"If Johnson had said there was no money but he'd put in a lot of effort, people would have accepted it but it's the promises he made. It's worrying because he said his commitment is still there. If that's the case, we're in trouble. I thought the fans chanting when they went on the pitch was great. It was like people were saying, 'Don't let him get away with it.' It was spontaneous and I think it caught the mood.
"Until a consortium or group of people meet his asking price, we're going to be stuck with him. There's talk of the Granchesters coming back in, but let's be honest - is someone who's sold the club for £10m going to want to buy it back for £60m?" asked Redmond.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY OUTRAGEOUS…
BRENTFORD CAPTAIN'S 'WIFE IS HOOKER AND HE JOINS IN TOO'!
In an astonishingly sordid tale, a national newspaper has accused Brentford captain Jamie Bates of whoring his wife around London!
Bates, who's had a great week after the Bees' relegation to the Third Division, could well be sacked by the club after allegedly inviting a journalist to have sex with his wife Sharron after watching Bates do the same, all for the princely sum of £150. Mrs Bates has, according to the paper, been a prostitute for three years, operating out of Cherries massage parlour in Croydon, where she offered sex to the reporter for £60.
Defender Bates is reported as saying he has all summer to join in sex sessions with her punters. Could be that he'll have all the rest of the year free to dip his wick in between trips to the dole office. Allegedly. Now we're making our excuses and leaving.

WALLACE DEFINITELY LEAVING LEEDS
Leds boss George Graham has admitted that Rod Wallace will definitely not be at Elland Road next year. The striker has refused to sign a new contract despite collecting 13 goals for Leeds this season and was substituted towards the end of Sunday's draw with Wimbledon, his last game in a Leeds shirt after seven years.
Graham said: "I would think he will be playing for somebody else next season. Without question. We've never, ever, closed the door but he won't be here next season. I have not got a clue where he's going.''
Meanwhile, the manager will do more in the transfer market than just replace Wallace ahead of Leeds' UEFA Cup campaign. said: "We need more players. It's as simple as that. The difficulty is knowing who you want. I'll definitely be trying very hard to bring in some new players next season."
But the former Arsenal boss was full of praise for his current squad: "I'm full of admiration for the way these boys have performed. I've got the maximum from a lot of players this season and I don't think you can ask any more than that. They've been tremendous."