LA team-mate hits out at Beckham

Donovan takes over as captain of LA Galaxy when Beckham is not there

David Beckham's LA Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan has launched a stinging attack on the England star, accusing him of a lack of commitment.

Beckham, 33, spent a spell on loan at AC Milan last season, and Donovan believes he has let Galaxy down.

Donovan said: "All that we care about is that he committed to us. As time has gone on, that has not been the case on the field or off the field."

Beckham's spokesman told the BBC he had no comment to make in response.

Speaking in a new book called 'The Beckham Experiment', USA captain Donovan - who himself has just come back from a loan spell with Bayern Munich - added: "Does the fact that he earns that much more money come into it? Yeah.

Somewhere along the way he flipped a switch and said 'I'm not doing it anymore' Landon Donovan on Beckham

"If someone's paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you are suspended or not. Show up and train hard, show up and play hard.

"Maybe he's not a leader, maybe he's not a captain. Fair enough. But at a minimum, you should bust your ass every day and that hasn't happened.

"I don't think that's too much for us to expect. Especially when he's brought all this on us."

Beckham, who joined Galaxy in 2007, suffered a miserable first season as the team missed out on the MLS play-offs and manager Ruud Gullit quit before the end of the campaign.

Donovan believes the Dutchman's exit had a negative impact on Beckham.

"When David first came, I believed he was committed to what he was doing," said Donovan. "He cared. He wanted to do well. He wanted the team and the league to do well.

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"Somewhere along the way - and in my mind it coincides with Ruud going - he just flipped a switch and said, 'Uh-huh, I'm not doing it anymore'."

Meanwhile, the president of the United States Soccer Federation has warned Beckham to expect a hostile reception when he returns to Galaxy.

Sunil Gulati told Bloomberg the 'timeshare' deal that saw him spend five months at Milan will have upset some MLS fans.

"That is inevitable, but in the end he is a good player and a soccer icon, and I think he'll help his team," said Gulati.

"But are there going to be some people that are upset? Sure."

Beckham is due to return to action against the New York Red Bulls on 16 July.