Bad Omen? Beckham will join Galaxy on Friday the 13th

LOS ANGELES: English football star David Beckham will take his place as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy next month on Friday the 13th, a day notorious in American culture for bad luck.

The Major League Soccer club announced here on Thursday that Beckham, whose contract with Real Madrid expires Sunday, will make his official debut with the team at a news conference on that morning at the team's home stadium.

Beckham has signed a five-year contract worth as much as $250 million in total income, although the playing portion for league salary cap purposes will be only around $25.7 million.

Since playing for Real Madrid in a Spanish league title-clinching 3-1 triumph over Mallorca on June 17, Beckham has been resting and rehabilitating an ankle injury.

The former England captain is expected to make his debut for the Galaxy in a match against English Premiership club Chelsea here on July 21 but his fitness will decide when he sees his first action for the US club, whose season is nearly half over.