David Beckham has committed himself to Real Madrid for next season.
"The only way I'd leave," he said, "would be if the club said they didn't want me, and they haven't said that."
Beckham, 31 in May, has yet to renew his contract, which expires in 2008, but he remains confident of continuing at the club.
"Madrid are very keen on getting talks under way and we are very keen on getting those talks under way as well, but there have been changes at the club. Talks are always with the president himself and, every time you go to sort something out, something else changes," he said tellingly. "But I've got used to that now and there might be talks in the next few weeks.
"I know things change very quickly but I'm happy with my lifestyle and my game, so I want to stay. It would be a good thing if it gets sorted before the World Cup but even if it didn't I wouldn't go into the tournament worried about my future. One way or another it will get sorted out."
Beckham said that even if England won the World Cup, returning home a hero would not be sufficient temptation to forsake Madrid - not even if he scored a hat-trick in the final.
With a big grin he said: "If that happened, it would be amazing and I'd enjoy celebrating but, no, not even then. I love playing for Real, I'm happy here and I don't want to move my family about any more. The kids are happy, my wife is happy and we have just bought a new house. There is no reason to go anywhere else."
And, though Beckham has backed Eriksson as an ideal candidate to take over at the Bernabéu, he was keen to distance his own future from that of the England manager. Eriksson's arrival would be a bonus, not the deciding factor.
"I will stay, whoever they bring in. I want to sort my contract out anyway, whether Sven comes or not. I want to stay in Madrid and that's separate from the [manager's job]. I love it here."
"The only way I'd leave," he said, "would be if the club said they didn't want me, and they haven't said that."
Beckham, 31 in May, has yet to renew his contract, which expires in 2008, but he remains confident of continuing at the club.
"Madrid are very keen on getting talks under way and we are very keen on getting those talks under way as well, but there have been changes at the club. Talks are always with the president himself and, every time you go to sort something out, something else changes," he said tellingly. "But I've got used to that now and there might be talks in the next few weeks.
"I know things change very quickly but I'm happy with my lifestyle and my game, so I want to stay. It would be a good thing if it gets sorted before the World Cup but even if it didn't I wouldn't go into the tournament worried about my future. One way or another it will get sorted out."
Beckham said that even if England won the World Cup, returning home a hero would not be sufficient temptation to forsake Madrid - not even if he scored a hat-trick in the final.
With a big grin he said: "If that happened, it would be amazing and I'd enjoy celebrating but, no, not even then. I love playing for Real, I'm happy here and I don't want to move my family about any more. The kids are happy, my wife is happy and we have just bought a new house. There is no reason to go anywhere else."
And, though Beckham has backed Eriksson as an ideal candidate to take over at the Bernabéu, he was keen to distance his own future from that of the England manager. Eriksson's arrival would be a bonus, not the deciding factor.
"I will stay, whoever they bring in. I want to sort my contract out anyway, whether Sven comes or not. I want to stay in Madrid and that's separate from the [manager's job]. I love it here."
