Beckham to give more time to the game

England football captain David Beckham will give more time to the game than to his commercial interests this season at Real Madrid.

According to The Times, London, he is expected to dump six companies from his portfolio and work with five global branding partners.

The move follows his not-too-good showing at Euro 2004 and Real Madrid last season.

Among those he is likely to sever ties with are six Asian companies, including Meiji chocolate products and Japanese computer company Tsubasa Systems.

He will also stop endorsing other products when those contracts expire, such as Castrol Oil, which has a year left on its deal, and Marks & Spencer.

Beckham's advisers are of the opinion that Marks & Spencer, the clothing retailer, is too Britain centric. The footballer though will fulfill the final two ranges of his contract for DB07 childrenswear for autumn/winter 2004 and spring summer 2005.

By restricting himself to five companies, Beckham is expected to reduce by half the number of days he works off the pitch. The move is expected to leave his sponsorship income unchanged, largely because he will be seeking more lucrative deals.