Beckham ready to rejoin elite

David Beckham says he still has the passion of a 21-year-old as he prepares to return to the Champions League on Wednesday night.

David Beckham could make his return to the UEFA Champions League stage when Paris St Germain host Valencia with a place in the quarter-finals at stake on Wednesday night.

The former England captain is in line to play some part in the second leg of Paris St Germain's last-16 tie with Valencia - almost three years to the day since he was part of a Milan side beaten 4-0 at Manchester United.

And in an interview with Sky Sports Beckham, 37, insisted he still has plenty to contribute at elite level in Europe.

He said: "I might not be able to run as much as I used to when I was 21, but I'll try.

"I can still get around the pitch and still play the balls I play. My passion hasn't changed, my energy hasn't changed, the way i want to win a game hasn't changed, so it's pretty much the same."

Carlo Ancelotti's side lead 2-1 from the away leg in Spain, though a last-minute Adil Rami goal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's injury-time dismissal mean Valencia travel to France with some hope.

Ibrahimovic is banned for the second leg and PSG's next game, and Beckham said: "It makes it a little bit more difficult, but this team's definitely capable of progressing."



Beckham has started one game and made two substitute appearances in his short time in Paris, and Ancelotti said: "He's played well with no problems. He's arrived in the team with his quality, with his character."