09 January 2023 , 13:13
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Romeo Beckham could make his debut for Brentford's B team in a London Senior Cup game away to Erith and Belvedere on Tuesday night if international clearance arrives in time.
But the 20-year-old has already made a positive impact with Neil MacFarlane’s squad having been involved in training sessions since October. Indeed, Romeo has dad David to thank as well, with the former Manchester United star the one who got the ball rolling before helping get the deal over the line.
The second of Beckham ’s sons last week completed his six-month loan move from Inter Miami’s reserve side. With their season running across the summer, it was decided that his continued development was best served by continuing to train in a professional environment.
And after impressing the coaching staff and his new team-mates on the training pitch, there is a growing belief that he will be able to more than hold his own for a Brentford B team that has forged a clear pathway to the big leagues.
The move came about because his dad has known Lee Dykes, Brentford’s technical director, for some time. Discussions between the pair led to an agreement that Beckham Jr could spend the next six months on loan with the West London club’s development group.
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“We’ve been absolutely delighted with Romeo since he arrived with us,” MacFarlane told the Brentford website after the deal was announced. “Romeo has applied himself unbelievably well, he’s really bought into the culture and the group, which he has become a big part of. I love his standards and the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch.
Romeo Beckham pictured after signing for Brentford B on loan. (Brentford FC)“He’s been able to get fitter and fitter during his time with us and it leaves him in a good place to now step forward having joined us on loan. He is very technical and he is somebody who can shift the ball quickly and cross. He is also a really good finisher and has the ability to play a number of positions for us, which is also pleasing.”
While there is no current plan for Beckham to be involved with the senior team, aside from an occasional overlap in training, such is the external interest in the loan move that head coach Thomas Frank was twice asked about the new arrival after Saturday's FA Cup defeat to West Ham United.
And Frank seemed to provide Beckham with a clear invitation: if he can impress for the second string, the door to progression might eventually be opened and he could extend his stay beyond the summer.
"He is an interesting player who we hope, like a lot of players in the B team, can make it to the first team," Frank said. “Everyone who got a contract or loan deal always has an opportunity to stay, so that’s the same for Romeo, of course.”
For that to happen he will need to take another significant step in his development. And then, perhaps, convince his dad that he is better off not returning to Miami.