Madrid, June 19: Real Madrid`s international forward Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez said that the signing of David Beckham may force him to leave the club. "I`ve suffered a lot of knocks. I`m a professional and I want to play soccer. If I can`t do it here, it`ll have to be somewhere else," Guti said in an interview with the national `el Mundo` today.

Guti, who has already struggled to find a place in Madrid`s star-studded line up, said Beckham`s 35 million euro (US$40.7 million) signing would limit his chances further.

"All the doors are closing on me. I was improving as a midfielder and (Zinedine) Zidane arrived. I was improving as a forward and Ronaldo arrived. I`m now in the national team as a midfielder and Beckham comes," he said.

Guti, 26, was at the Madrid`s training ground on Wednesday, the day after Beckham`s signing was announced, but failed to appear on the field, leading to suggestions that he was too upset to practise.

Madrid`s sports director Jorge Valdano later said that the player had a calf injury, but acknowledged that the player had not been pleased by Beckham`s signing.

Bureau Report