Breakdown fears over Becks

It is clear that football has, inevitably, started coming second to his life as a brand name.

At the age of 29 it has dawned on him (belatedly, it must be said) that he does not have the energy to combine the roles of sportsman, showbusiness megastar and international commuter.

Beckham has rightly come in for criticism from pundits and supporters since England's exit from Euro 2004, with many believing the half-fit star kept his place in the team only because of his closeness to coach Sven Goran Eriksson. Even then, he managed to hog the limelight with the air of polished performer. Witness the number of times he was first to join a goalscorer's celebration as though it were another 'brand Beckham' success.

But those close to Beckham insist no one could be harder on the England captain than himself. That is why some fear he could break down.

'He told me he is not sleeping, he is having night sweats and his hands are shaking,' said a friend. 'He has no energy and has lost his nerve. He said that when he was 11 he used to kick a ball 100 yards and now he doesn't even have the punch to kick it ten yards.

'He knows he needs help but he doesn't know where to turn to.'

In addition to his problems with Victoria, Beckham has never felt more alone.

Since his father Ted separated from Beckham's mother Sandra, and criticised his son for leaving his beloved Manchester United, the two men have been far from close. This weekend, when Beckham telephoned his father, all Ted could say was: 'I told you not to leave Manchester United. You have brought this on yourself.'

Beckham is not close to his sister Joanne, and moving to Madrid has even eroded his relationship with former best friend and fellow Manchester United player Gary Neville.

In Portugal he felt there was a lot of antipathy from the rest of his England teammates because of the way Sven favoured him - he was particularly upset that the other footballers had stopped calling him by the familiar 'bruv'.

The only person to whom he is still close is his mother Sandra - but her mild-mannered nature means she is no match for Victoria and her family. She has also told him that she feels she cannot get involved in his marriage problems.

The problems in the Beckham marriage, which is five years old next Sunday, started long before Rebecca Loos came on the scene. But since the couple's former assistant made her allegations of an affair with David, the couple

'David has been begging friends to intervene and get Victoria to listen to him,' said a friend. 'He wants to sit down and talk to her. He said all they do is argue.

'David told me, "I love being married. I love having kids. I don't want to be on my own like my dad." And he said unless they start talking to each other soon he can't see how the marriage will last.

'Victoria has told him that being so upset about football is ridicualous and in a way they should see it as a blessing in disguise that England are out because they can concentrate on her next single coming out.'

What Victoria seems to have forgotten, however, is that their fame and earnings are based largely on his footballing abilities.

And the rot appears to have already started setting in. One of Beckham's biggest sponsors, Vodafone, yesterday admitted it had not decided whether to renew his £1million-a-year contract.

The Mail can reveal that ITV1 is considering shelving plans for a documentary starring Beckham and actor Jude Law - erstwhile golden boys in their field - because Becks just isn't golden any more.

Industry experts believe that Beckham is worth 50 per cent less to potential sponsors than he was a month ago.

The very lucrative Far East market - which brings the Beckham brand its biggest revenues - also appeared to have turned against the footballer yesterday.

The disparity between what Beckham thinks he needs to be doing, (getting back to his roots and concentrating on football), and what Victoria wants him to do (take Brand Beckham to America), has become a major issue between the two.

As the Mail revealed on Saturday, they spent most of Euro 2004 arguing, mainly because Victoria is not interested in football. Her hatred of being seen as a mere footballer's wife was made all too clear to the rest of the team at a post-defeat party on Thursday night, as she seemed relieved that England were going home early.

Posh has long had a plan in the diary to 'take' America this summer, cashing in on the high profile the couple gained with Beckham's Vanity Fair magazine front page. He is also due to open a David Beckham Soccer Academy in California next week.

But Beckham has already confided that he wants to try to drop out of the public eye and concentrate on improving his football.

Then there is the still-undecided issue of where Victoria and the children will live next season.

The Beckhams, of course, made public statement about the happy state of their marriage a month ago when they said they were thrilled to announce they would be in Madrid for another year. They even said that Brooklyn would be enrolled at school there.

However one Beckham aide has admitted to the Mail that when David starts pre-season training next month, Victoria will not be there. And most of the couple's friends believe that she will not be in Madrid any more than she was last season because her mother Jackie, who is everything from nanny to business adviser for her daughter, is staying in Britain.

Then there is the question of whether, after a lacklustre first season followed by his dismal Euro 2004 performance, Real Madrid even want him any more.