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Real Madrid legend Michel Salgado opened up about his role as David Beckham's babysitter when the England captain made the move to Spain . Beckham took a brave decision to leave his boyhood club Manchester United and complete a blockbuster transfer to Real Madrid after his falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson went public. Beckham became the latest Galactico in 2003 and appeared to be the perfect addition to the star-studded team that club president Florentino Perez was putting together. Despite hitting the ground running on the pitch, Beckham struggled to adapt to his new chapter in Spain, and Real icon and Spanish native Salgado, who celebrated his 50th birthday last week, was called upon to help the England international settle . "For me, it was a tough moment because I had to babysit him a little bit," Salgado told TNT Sports as he opened up about his role. "Victoria [Beckham] was not there so I was the only guy speaking English. "He would call me every day, 'Michel, let's go for this, let's go for that'. So it was a pretty good time. My wife was p***** off, but for me, it was good because I practised English. I did it with Macca [Steve McManaman] before and then I had Beckham so it was a good moment." The team struggled to live up to its star billing during Beckham's stint in Spain but they did secure the La Liga title in 2007. Beckham later moved to LA Galaxy before hanging up his boots at PSG after two separate loan spells at AC Milan. He is currently the owner of MLS team Inter Miami, who boast Lionel Messi on their books. As for Salgado, he would later take both Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate under his wing as Real Madrid's English contingent grew. The defender was once labelled the "hardest person in the world" and "a genuine psychopath" by McManaman. Salgado's intense approach might trace back to his love for English football. He was exposed early on to the English language, tutored by his sister-in-law from York, and even spent time in Margate as an exchange student. In an interview with The Guardian during his time in Madrid, he said: "I find English football really attractive. Everything that goes with it, the culture, the respect with which the players are treated, the atmosphere. If I ever left Real I'd only go to play in England." This laid the foundation for when Salgado left Real Madrid in 2009. He took the advice of former team-mates Ivan Campo and Fernando Hierro to join ex-Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers. The full-back spent three years with the Lancashire side and voiced his support for Allardyce to replace Fabio Capello as Three Lions boss. "Who is better for England than an English manager who understands the English mentality and knows everything about the English game," he argued. "He did a great job with Bolton. He is doing a great job with Blackburn Rovers. "You know the talent of the manager when he has a small batch of players and you are a competitive team. The job he's done over the last few years has been magnificent. He is one of the reasons I came here to England."
