Mostly Hair and Hype: the US reaction to the Beckham move

Her husband isn't doing it for the money, so if Victoria Beckham accepts her first American job offer — from Playboy — it will presumably to be to expand her artistic horizons.

The former Spice Girl was today given a glimpse of the opportunities awaiting Britain's most famous couple when they move to Los Angeles this summer when she was invited to take part in a Playboy "pictorial" by Hugh Hefner, the magazine's founder.

Speaking with three of his playmates, Hefner said that he was confident that David Beckham would be a huge success in America when he comes to start playing for Los Angeles Galaxy in August and offered something to occupy his wife while the midfielder starts to earn his promised $250 million (£129 million).

"I think Hollywood is going to love him. The girls at the mansion have been talking about it and want to be sure that we put him on the party list," he said.

"She should do a pictorial with us. We’ve got big plans for her. I think she’s going to fit in fine — they’re both gorgeous," added Bridget Marquardt, a playmate.

A Playboy career for Mrs Beckham did not come up in the former England captain's first major interview with a US broadcaster since he signed a contract with the Major League Soccer club yesterday.

Admitting that he was about to earn "an amazing amount of money", Beckham told ABC television today that his wife was planning to sing, look after their three children and control the couple's finances — after all, he is expected to earn £70,000 a day, on a playing salary five times greater than the rest of the club's players, combined.

"I think Victoria’s happy doing what she’s doing at the moment," he said. "She’s got her own fashion line with the jeans and the sunglasses and the perfumes. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of other opportunities for her but she’s just happy doing what she’s doing at the moment and also being a mum."

Beckham also sought to explain the career decision that led Premiership managers today to conclude that the former Manchester Utd and Real Madrid player would never play at the top level again. Both Martin O'Neill, the Aston Villa manager, and Chris Coleman, the Fulham coach, said they believed he still had plenty to offer Europe's top clubs.

"It’s about hopefully making a difference in the US with the soccer and that’s what I’m going there for," said Beckham. "I’m going for the life of course, for my kids to enjoy it and my wife to enjoy it, but the main thing for me is to improve the soccer and to improve the standard and to be part of history really."

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