Beckham to stay in Madrid

"My life here is perfect and I'm happy at Real Madrid, so of course I want to stay at Real Madrid as long as I can. We have spoken about a meeting in the next month or two, but we'll just have to wait because we've got so many matches and I have to concentrate on the football."

In response to a suggestion that he might follow England rugby captain Jason Robinson's example and retire to spend more time with his family, Beckham said he felt he still had plenty to offer the game.

"I think I've got four or five more years left in the game. My first priority is the family, of course, but I'm with them every day."

Although content with his playing form and way of life in Madrid, the 30-year-old midfielder still faced unwelcome intrusions.

"The football side of things is better now, but I'm always going to have the problems with the paparazzi," he said. "I've had two men outside my house every day for the last two years, which is frightening at times, but unfortunately that's part of my life. I'm very happy here, though, as the people are great. I've got a new house and my children are happy at school."

Beckham has played a key role in Real Madrid's recovery from a poor start to this season, with set-piece assists for Robinho and Raul to score in the 3-1 win over Athletic Bilbao last Thursday and a scoring pass for Ronaldo in the 3-0 win at Alaves on Sunday.

He has also showed a marked improvement in his command of Spanish, when fielding questions from the local media.