In the land of the free, the Americans love a patriot wrapped in the stars and stripes.

That's why it should be easier for "soccer" fans in the US to understand David Beckham's passion for his country.

Beckham, ever the diplomat, survived a pretty frosty press conference in New York to promote his Major League Soccer comeback for LA Galaxy in the Giants Stadium on Thursday night.

His commitment to LA Galaxy, the MLS and the "Beckham project" as a whole was questioned intently by US journalists after the former England captain left America last season to join AC Milan on loan.

Chances are that Beckham will go back to the San Siro this winter to play in Serie A again, such was his success playing for AC Milan at the end of last season.

Of course he never quite admitted that publicly because that would run the risk of upsetting the MLS. Beckham's far too cute for that as he extenuated the virtues of the league he came to America to promote to the world.

But what is amusing is that down the years, Beckham's commitment to England has been questioned every time he has pulled on the shirt.

That's what happens when you have the biggest star in world football playing for your country.

His sending-off against Argentina became a national outrage and any slip-up since has left a host of former "legends" - and I use that term loosely - queuing up to question whether he should ever play for England again.

But those very sad old and ageing former internationals should take note of Beckham's sincere and heartfelt words about how passionate he is to play for England.

"I'd always regret it if I didn't do everything to give myself a chance to be involved in that," Beckham told the 100 or so assembled journalists in New York.

Afterwards, a few of us saw him and spoke to him and only then do you really get the feel of Beckham's national pride and desire to play for England.

He's great. Warm, engaging, smiles and handshakes all round, desperate to make his point and show he's not a deserter but a man of principle and pride.

Beckham, arms covered in a maze of tattoos, was eloquent as he explained it was not about swapping LA Galaxy for a better standard of football at AC Milan.

It was all about ensuring he keeps his place in the England squad under Fabio Capello, something that he will not be able to do if he stays at LA Galaxy and doesn't go back to Europe next season.

That will mean he will miss around three months of the MLS season but will give him a great chance, even at the age of 35, of going to next summer's World Cup in South Africa.

Beckham signed up for five years when he went to Galaxy and a cool £25m-a-year. However, that was two years ago when Steve McClaren had foolishly frozen him out of the England set-up.

Lesser players would have given up and taken the easy way, retiring in Los Angeles with a string of showbiz parties.

But Beckham kept his fitness levels high and Capello is shrewd enough to realise that the ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder still has something to offer England.

Beckham will also go to any lengths to carry on playing for his country. And that's my point to those who question his place in the England set-up and whether he is worthy of his call-up.

Do me a favour. This is a player with immense experience and is a figurehead in the same way that Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Dino Zoff, Lothar Matthaus and Cafu have been in the past for their countries.

Beckham may no longer be a guaranteed starter. But he played an important role for England as a cameo against Kazakhstan and Andorra in the end-of-season qualifiers.

Beckham will fly in from wherever to report and play a part. He has gone from being seen as someone who is undroppable into a star who is happy to be a squad player.

He doesn't mind that he's gone from being captain to someone who can come on in an emergency to deliver a set-piece or someone who is good to have around the hotel, dressing room and preparations.

Theo Walcott's form dipped at the end of last season and Beckham is exactly the sort of player needed to put an arm round a shoulder to reassure him that he has all of the quality to be world class one day.

That's Beckham's value to Capello's World Cup plans and why he is prepared to upset and ruffle a few feathers in the US to achieve his dream in South Africa, four years after he tearfully said goodbye after Germany.

Beckham may not be capable of playing to the level he did against Greece in the crucial qualifier for the 2002 World Cup, scoring the last gasp equaliser to save Sven's blushes.

But Beckham is still a great diplomat and patriot. That's why both things can go hand in hand.

Beckham can be the diplomat and politician needed to help "soccer" really take off in the US.

And, with a little understanding from the American public, he is also the patriot determined to represent his country and play in the World Cup.

That may upset the MLS a bit, to think of Beckham going back to Europe again this winter.

But the United States is a country steeped in national pride and the great American public should understand Beckham's real motives better than anyone.