Reports confirm that the former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has arrived in Barcelona to put complete his £16m move from Arsenal to the Catalan giants.

Henry was met by Barcelona club officials on his arrival. He will complete a medical and will then be unveiled as a Barca player later today (Monday).

The 20 year old Henry has agreed a four-year deal with the former European Champions.

Henry hasd already been talking to the Barca website, he said, “It is incredible. I am looking forward to playing in the Camp Nou and helping the team in every way I can.

“The most important thing that made me come [here] is the way Barca plays, the fans and the support they give. Without good fans it is difficult to have a good team and vice versa.”

You’ll proabably remember there was huge speculation last year when Barcelona and Arsenal met in the Champions League Final in Paris that Henry was about to leave to join the new Champions. However the game didn’t quite go as Henry would have wanted and there appeared to be a little bit of bad feeling between him and a few of the Barcelona players. He was obviously very upset at the time but whatever happened seems to be nothing but a distant memory now and the move that everyone thought was going to happen has, just a year later.

However, Henry has also said that his departure from Arsenal, where he has rightly become a Gunner Legend, has a lot to do with the recent and very unexpected departure of David Dein, the club’s long term vice-chairman and of course the future of Arsene Wenger. Dein was instrumental in bringing the Frenchman to [then] Highbury and the two men were known to be close friends. Henry has said, “Arsene has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

“Unfortunately and understandably, he has said that at this moment he will not commit to the club past the expiration of his current deal, which finishes at the end of the coming season.

“I respect his decision and his honesty but I will be 31 at the end of next season and I cannot take the chance to be there without Arsene Wenger and David Dein.”

Henry in Barcelona

Henry said this of his new club, “Barcelona are a wonderful club steeped in tradition and play beautiful football. I’m sure I will be very happy there.

“But I will miss the Arsenal fans dearly, they have supported me through thick and thin.

“They will always be in my heart, as will all the fans who make the game here so special. I will always have a special bond with Arsenal Football Club.”

Arsenal’s loss is of course also the Premiership’s loss. You can’t deny that Henry is a superb striker and probably the best the Gunners have ever had. He will leave a big gap in the Premiership but Arsenal’s will loss will be bigger. I don’t know who they will get to try to replace him but whoever it turns out to be, he will have an almost impossible job to fill Henry’s boots!

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David Beckham’s reign in Spain has finished on the perfect note as Real Madrid beat Mallorca 3-1 at the Bernabeu at the weekend. The result meant Real won one of the most exciting La Liga title races, edging out arch Rivals Barcelona. Becks has had to wait 4 years to win a trophy with Mardrid and he surely would have never expected to have waited that long when he joined.

The game was won with two goals by on loan Antonio Reyes. Remember him? Yes, he’s still an Arsenal player but has been at Real all season. Real’s third was an own goal from Mallorca’s Angelos Basinas

As I said, it’s first La Liga success in four years for Los Blancos who still edged out Barcelona who beat Gimnastic 5-1 and still finished on the same points. Real won because of the rules in Spain as in such a situation the title is decided on their head-to-head record. Real’s is better! Even though Barca had a far better goal difference. Tough! Though you won’t find too many in Madrid crying into their sangria!

So Beckham, who was not on the pitch at the final whistle having been replaced by Reyes, is now all set to join LA Galaxy. At the end of the game however he joined in with the raucous celebrations at the Bernabeu with his three sons and was given an emotional send off with Roberto Carlos who also ended his Real career on Sunday after 11 glorious years.

Beckham celebrates the La Liga title

“I couldn’t have dreamt it any better,” he said.

“It’s been about winning the title for the last six months - and we’ve deserved it tonight.

“It’s been an incredible experience, but all I remember now is the great things. Winning this tonight now puts to bed everything else.” Obviously referring to several situations that arose during his eventful 4 years in Spain. Remember Rebecca Loos?

Back in the Madrid city centre thousands of fans converged on the Cibeles fountain to celebrate their 30th title triumph. The elated fans flooded down the Paseo de la Castellana from the Bernabeu stadium for the first time in four years to cheer their heros. I’ve lived in Spain and you can not really explain how these Real fans would have felt, not just because they won the title but because of how they did it and more importantly of which team they “pipped at the post”. Beating Barcelona means everything. Converserly there will be tears all over Barcelona. There is simply nothing worse (in live) than being beaten by Real!

However back in Madrid, the Real players followed the fans in an open-top bus and when they got to the historic fountain they celebrated on to a specially constructed catwalk.

Real players celebrate in their open top bus

Club captain Raul, celebrating his fifth league title with Real, was lifted on to the monument by a crane and draped a Spanish flag and a club scarf around the statue of the goddess as his team mates looked on. I think they were enjoying the moment!

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As I mentioned a couple of days ago, there had been talk that Real Madrid had been trying to persuade David Beckham to remain at the club for a further season due to some kind of escape clause in his new LA Galaxy contract. However the former England captain has apparently now dismissed any hope of Los Blancos keeping him at the Bernabeu after this season.

Beckham appears to be thinking about what the future holds

Amazing really, 6 months ago, Beckham had been cast aside by England (well, new boss McClaren) and also his club coach Fabio Capello, who said he would never play for Real again. However Becks doesn’t ap[pear to be the type of guy who would let such little set backs upset him and through a combination of hard work, determination, a belief that he would turn things around and crucially a couple of injuries to team mates, Beckham got himself back into the Real team and the rest, as they say is history.

Not only have Real been trying to keep him but he's also back playing for his country. It's never over until that fat lady sings!! And she has obviously returned to the dressing room to warm up again.

Anyway Beckham, who signed a deal with LA in January on the back of all that happen (above), has said: "I've had no contact with the president about anything. My last game for Real will be on Sunday. There is no clause with Los Angeles saying it could be changed."

Beckham, who is now 32 and coming to the last act of his career, moved to Madrid in 2003. Should Real beat Real Mallorca at the Bernabeu on Sunday he will win his first trophy with the club in his last game. I'm sure he thought he would be winning many more than that when he put pen to paper.

Beckham also said, "I've played for Real Madrid for four years. It has been an incredible time. Hopefully, it will end with winning the league but this is it."

And he has also admitted that this season had been the hardest of his career having spent much of it out of favour with club and country. But the turnaround since the new year has impressed Real officials, especially his attitude since the fall-out over his decision to leave for the MLS.

His decision to sign with LA in January really did upset Real and Capello. Saying he would never play for the first-team again, that's not taking it well. However the President, Calderon, took it even worse claiming that Beckham would be, "an average cinema actor living in Hollywood." That was a bit catty! However such comments backfired a little because they prompted Beckham's team mates to throw their backing behind him. And at Real there is such a thing as player power. Just look at Rául! I sometimes think he actually runs the club.

Almost predictably, Real are now stating that they were in the process of offering Beckham a new deal when he decided to sign with the Galaxy. Yes, of course you were! But Beckham said Real's failure to make him a contract renewal offer was behind his decision to leave the nine-times European champions and sign for the Galaxy.

"I first realised I would be leaving Real Madrid six months ago in January when I was told my contract wouldn't be renewed," said Beckham.

"That was the time when I knew I had to decide my future. Leaving a club like Real Madrid is very difficult but I think my future is bright and it's something I'm really looking forward to now.

"It was a difficult time and there were many other things going on around the club related to my position other than what was going on the football pitch.

"I definitely agree that there was more to it than the manager, but I'm not going to criticise Fabio Capello because I have too much respect for him as a person and as a manager.

"It has been possibly the toughest season of my career on and off the field. I've gone through things that I never thought were possible.

"I'm sad to be leaving, I didn't expect to be leaving, but everyone knows what has happened in the last six months. It was the most difficult time of my career, not being involved in training and matches and certain things being said that weren't true.

"But the most important thing is the game on Sunday, what has gone on before doesn't matter now.

"It is a big opportunity for me to win a trophy. That is what I came to the club for, not just to play with the likes of Raul, Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Roberto Carlos and everybody else, but to win trophies and hopefully we can do that on Sunday."

The La Liga title would be a fitting finale for Beckham and I certainly wouldn't bet against him holding the trophy aloft in front of the Bernabeu faithful on Sunday. The man does seem to live the film star life and such an ending would be right out of a Hollywood blockbuster.

Perhaps Hollywood is the perfect place to end his career.

For all the latest news on David Beckham please review the following links. I update these news items on Beckham on a daily basis for you or whenever there is a new story about him, which let's face it is rather often! .....
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Sheffield Utd really aren’t getting over relegation too well are they? They seem to have forgotten that you are judged over a 38 game season and despite all their grit and determination, they simply weren’t good enough to stay up. Anyway, now the Hollywood actor and huge Sheffield Utd fan Sean Bean is leading a delegation to Parliament to protest at the way his team were relegated from the Premiership. Oh dear!

Sheffield Utd fan, Sean Bean

The Blades were knocked out of the league on the last day of the season following a defeat to Wigan. And a great game full of drama it was too.

The club and some of their supporters have been saying that their rivals in the relegation dogfight, West Ham United, should have lost points and therefore been relegated instead of just a £5m fine, because they had been using a player (Carlos Tevez) who had not been properly registered to play for them. People see, to forget there was Javier Mascherano too but as he hardly played for West Ham he doesn’t seem to count. Don’t see the distinction myself. Again I go back to the season is over 38 games and Tevez won’t have played in all of them and one man does not make a team. Yes, you could say he scored some important goals, but Sheffield Utd had the chance to score important goals too, they just didn’t.

I don’t know, maybe I’m not seeing the full picture but personally, I think all this protesting is not doing Sheffield Utd’s image any good. I know this is hard to say because there is a substantial amount of money involved but wouldn’t they be far better off accepting the decision and what has happened, getting on with the job of returning straight back to the Premiership and I’m sure that people would respect those actions far more than what they are trying to do. Maybe it’s just me?

Anyway, Bean and about 100 other Utd supporters will meet MPs. There is a statement on the club’s website which quotes Bean as stating he hoped the politicians would listen.

He said: “I think I’m in a position to express my opinion and that of many Sheffield United fans aggrieved by the decision that was made by the original panel.

“My message to MPs would be to thank them for the support we’ve had - I think we’ve had 40-plus MPs getting behind us and they’ve shown sympathy for our cause.”

Good luck mate! But I really don’t see any decision being overturned.

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David Beckham certainly seems to have gained a new lease of life recently. Good enough in fact for both his club and country manager to recall him to their respective teams despite stating it was the end of the road for playing for Real Madrid and England.

So what has been the different? Well, the former Real Madrid coach Radomir Antic believes the key to Beckham’s recent revival and for changing the minds of both Capello and McClaren has been his decision to move to the U.S. and sign for LA Galaxy.

Beckham agreed to join the MLS club about 6 months ago now and is due to move at the end of the Spanish League season which finishes in about two weeks., It really doesn’t seem that long ago since the news broke, or is it just me? Where does the time go?

Anyway, Antic is reported to have said, “When Beckham signed for LA Galaxy he forgot all the pressures that were weighing him down.

“He’s been a different man on the field since he made that decision - you can see how much he’s enjoying himself.”

Beckham salutes Bernabeu crowd

He’s got a point! Over the last six months old Golden Balls has dramatically revived a career that looked to be heading for an ignominious end with Los Galacticos, who he joined from Manchester Utd in the summer of 2003.

As I mentioned above, when the he signed for LA Galaxy rather than extend his Real contract, the Spanish club’s coach Fabio Capello announced Beckham would never play for the club again. But some things never quite work out as you expect them to, do they? Injuries forced Capello to rethink his decision and subsequently Beckham has helped Real mount a serious challenge for the La Liga title. Which for Real would be extra special as they would be taking it from their arch rivals Barcelona, who have won it for the last two seasons

It has been in the last two months that Beckham has been key to Real’s title offensive and for heaping the pressure, not only on Barcelona but on The Uefa Cup holders Sevilla and Valencia too.

Real drew 2-2 with Zaragoza last Saturday. Previously, Real had won five games after Beckham returned to the side following injury in April. Crucially, these 5 wins including key victories over title rivals Valencia and Sevilla. All this means that should Real win their final match at home to Mallorca next Sunday it will see them clinch their first title in four years.

Beckham’s Lazarus-like revival with Real then persuaded England coach Steve McClaren to recall the midfielder, having snubbed him after the 2006 World Cup.

Having played against Brazil last week, Beckham played through the pain barrier with an ankle injury and played a key role in England’s 3-0 away win over Estonia, setting up goals for Crouch and Owen.

Antic continued by saying, “Watching Beckham play for England you could see how happy he is at the moment.

“He worked very hard for the team, constantly changed his position and delivered a lot of very dangerous crosses. He has been inspired by the prospect of this new job in the United States.”

And according to Antic, should Real be successful at reclaiming the Spanish title, it will be mainly due to Beckham’s pressence and influence over the last six months.

There has been some talk recently that Real were trying to broker a loan deal with LA Galaxy to retain the services of Beckham. That must be a pretty good indicator as to how well he’s been playing recently. I bet both Capello and Beckham could turn the clock back. I am convinced that given the chance, Beckham’s first choice would be to continue playing at Real Madrid. No disrepect to LA Galaxy, but which is the bigger, more famous club? Let’s face it, they don’t come too much bigger or famous than Los Blancos!

Although I’m sure Posh is looking forward to Rodeo Drive!

For all the latest news on David Beckham please review the following links. I update these news items on Beckham on a daily basis for you or whenever there is a new story about him, which let’s face it is rather often! …..
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