Bruce: I moved for Beckham last year

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has revealed that he made an audacious attempt to sign former Manchester United team-mate David Beckham on loan from LA Galaxy last year.

David Beckham and Steve Bruce played together for four years at Old Trafford

Bruce was Beckham's captain at Old Trafford before he left the club in 1996, and the centre-back had already moved on before the midfielder shot to superstardom in the years that followed.

But when Beckham revealed he was looking for another temporary move back to Europe last season to boost his chances of playing for England at the World Cup, Bruce made a move to re-unite himself with his former team-mate.

Unfortunately for the Wearsiders' boss, Beckham chose to return to Italian giants AC Milan rather than become the biggest signing in Sunderland's history - a decision that Bruce admits he can understand. "Certainly I tried 18 months ago," Bruce said. "I did try when he went to Milan. [It was a case of] Milan or Sunderland, or Birmingham or Wigan? He just said, 'Thanks Brucie I'm going to Milan'. I understand that. Milan and Prada or Sunderland and Primark?

"I still keep in touch with him. I was his captain but he wouldn't call me skip. I remember Beckham the year I left when we won the league at Middlesbrough and then he got the wonder-goal that put him on the road to stardom at Wimbledon. That coincided with my first game for Birmingham at Crystal Palace. A bit of a come-down."

Bruce added that he "can't see" Beckham ever turning out for a Premier League club other than Manchester United, despite the former England captain continuing to be regularly linked with a return to English football.

The Sunderland boss also took the opportunity to outline the European ambitions he harbours for his side, though he admitted that the Wearsiders are not quite where he wants them to be yet.

"When I joined 18 months ago and had a conversation with the owner (Ellis Short) he didn't want to be in a relegation fight again," Bruce said. "We've made big strides towards that, we are decent. As for Europe, it has never been mentioned above me.

"And I don't think we should just yet. Let's keep our feet on the ground. Let's try to get through the winter and let's see where we can be when spring comes. And if we can get to the magical 45, 48 points with five or six games left fantastic.

"Europe is a huge slog. I would love to see European football here but it stretches your resources to the limit because it is not just a knock-out competition any more. It goes on forever. However it would still be a wonderful achievement if we could do it. I am convinced the club could cope, if you look at the last few years it has expanded fantastically.

"I had dinner with the owner last week and he is excited about the future ahead and now he is excited I wouldn't rule it out that we can still go on and smash our transfer record as long as the owner keeps doing what he has done in the past. I don't think it will be January because I genuinely believe now that there is nobody out there."