Brentford 's director of football insists that the signing of David Beckham 's son, Romeo, wasn't a "PR stunt", as the rising star continues to impress.
Romeo, 20, has entered the final few weeks of his loan spell in London from MLS side Inter Miami, the Florida-based franchise which dad David co-owns. The younger Beckham linked up with the Bees in January and a month later bagged his first goal, scoring a dramatic 93rd-minute winner in the Middlesex Senior Challenge Cup against Wealdstone.
Critics have argued that Brentford made the move in an attempt to raise their profile on the global stage, but director of football Phil Giles claims that isn't the case. He insists it would've been a "disaster" if Beckham Jr had a different attitude because of his famous name - but his character has been spot on.
Giles told The High Performance Podcast : "We brought Romeo in on a loan from Inter Miami for our B team and it was one of the most read stories that day on the website. It wasn't a PR stunt in any way.
"The thought that went into Romeo is that we have relationships in football, he was looking for places to train in England as he's an Inter Miami player. We said of course but still didn't look past the process of, is he going to add to that environment as a player? Had he come in and been like, 'I'm a Beckham,' that would have been a disaster for us. The character has to be correct."
Romeo's fame doesn't appear to be getting in the way of his progress on the pitch, as Brentford's chief sung his praises. "He's a humble guy," Giles went on to say. "[He has a] good work ethic, good mindset, wants to work extra hours on the training ground and sometimes has to be held back from that."
Have your say! Will Romeo go on to emulate dad David? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
A right midfielder like his dad, Romeo has featured in a number of friendly matches for Inter Miami but is yet to play a competitive first-team fixture. The 20-year-old got to face Barcelona last summer, coming on as a late substitute alongside Harvey Neville, the son of Inter Miami boss Phil.
"I was super proud of them both," boss Phil, David's former team-mate at Manchester United, explained post-match. "Romeo only got on for the last five or six minutes, which is difficult, but they'd earned the right to get on."
Brentford first-team manager Thomas Frank said shortly after the Bees confirmed Romeo's arrival during the January transfer window : "I think he's an interesting player. We hope, of course, like a lot of others that he can make it to the first team. Yeah, [he is] promising. Anyone who has got a contract here - be it a permanent deal or loan deal - there is always the opportunity to stay, of course."
