Arsene Wenger believes his young players will be able to
learn a lot from David Beckham.
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder is set to use Arsenal's training
complex to keep up his fitness levels during the Major League
Soccer close season, and Wenger hopes the experience will be
beneficial to his own players as well as Beckham.
"He will come in January to practise with us, occasionally with the
first team or the reserves," the Gunners manager confirmed.
"He can always give good advice and we will help him to keep fit.
The youngsters will look up to him, of course."
Wenger has been impressed by how Beckham has handled pressure
throughout his career.
He said: "I respect the fact that he has always loved football and
he has always shown respect for his managers even when he was
dropped. He didn't come out in a silly way, a spoilt way.
"Also, he has always delivered when it was expected of him, he has
shown toughness.
"When he had to score the free-kick in the last minute against
Greece (in the crucial World Cup qualifier in October 2001) he put
it in the net. It is a sign of mental strength."
Paradise
Wenger is renowned for blooding youngsters and he feels his players
should consider themselves lucky to line up for the first team so
early in their careers.
"You tell me one club in the world, of our size, that gives a
chance to the young players as we do? There is not one," he
said.
"You go to Real Madrid, you go to Milan, where do the young players
play?
"So at our club young players are in paradise, because usually they
have to wait to 26 or 27 to get a chance in a big club."
The likes of Lassana Diarra and Abou Diaby have struggled to
establish themselves in the side and have been linked with moves
away from Arsenal, but Wenger has urged his unsettled players to
bide their time.
"I try to make everybody happy, but it is impossible," he
said.
No Kindergarten
"We are not in a kindergarten here - we are in a job for men.
"Why should I come up and give explanations for every individual
who is not happy? It is a joke.
"When you are a professional footballer, competition is part of
your job.
"For me, players like Diarra are top, top level players. If you
have a period for two or three months with the team doing well and
you have a player doing well in front of you that is bad
luck.
"But at the end of the day, it is a job for strong people and those
who stay strong always come out."
