Inter Miami owner David Beckham has admitted he was worried by Barcelona's offer to re-sign Lionel Messi in the summer.
Barcelona had hoped to bring back their best-ever player after the World Cup winner opted against spending a third season at Paris Saint-Germain, but the deal was difficult due to financial problems at the Catalan club and the Argentine ultimately decided on a move to MLS instead.
"We made the offer [to Lionel], but he had offers from Saudi [Arabia], he'd had offers to go back to Barcelona and the Barcelona one really worried me because it pulls on the heartstrings," Beckham told the Stick to Football podcast.
"He never really got to say a proper goodbye, but then it was down to him to decide."
Beckham also revealed how he found out Messi was signing for Inter Miami.
"I was in Japan working, and it was 5am in the morning," he said. "The kids were in bed, Victoria was sleeping, and my phone was going mad because I'd forgot to turn it on silent. Victoria was telling me to turn it off, so I picked it up and I saw a barrage of messages and he'd come out and done his interview.
"We always wanted him to decide based on wanting to live there with his family, wanting to still win and play football in the way he plays it, but we wanted him to announce it in his way. He literally was sat in a hotel room with his mate filming and saying that he's coming to Miami.
"So, for us, it was unbelievable, I was very emotional about it because it's taken a lot of hard work to get here."
The former Manchester United admits he is still in awe watching Messi and says he is changing the culture of the club and also the sport in the United States.
"When Lionel first joined and arrived in Miami and he was training, I was there for the first five weeks," he said. "I was in the training ground 7am every morning just to watch him – and I'm 48 years old, so just to watch him do what he does, train the way that he does, prepare – it's just different.
"To bring someone like him to the club, we knew it would change the club and we knew it would change the league and the sport – but it's beyond that. What he does on the pitch, what he does off the pitch, for the young kids – to bring somebody in like him is the dream, also Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
"To bring in Leo has changed everything. The academy kids have someone to look up to, who has done everything, won everything, and he's teaching them, which is amazing."
David Beckham was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
More Lionel Messi stories
Barcelona president Joan Laporta claims Messi was 'very close' to a return to the Catalan club before he joined Inter Miami.
Messi has been joined in Miami by former Barcelona team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, but there will be no reunion with his close friend Luis Suarez – for now at least.
Meanwhile, some MLS sides play on artificial grass and it is unclear whether Messi will be prepared to feature on that surface. His presence against Charlotte in October is therefore in doubt.
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