Stars flock to see Beckham debut

David Beckham's first game for LA Galaxy drew a host of Hollywood celebrities.

It was no surprise to see Tom Cruise and his wife Katie Holmes watching from a corporate suite with Posh as Galaxy faced Chelsea in a friendly.

The Beckhams have been friends with the Cruises for some time and David has turned to Tom for advice on life in Holllywood.

But it was more of a shock to see Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria in the stands as she is usually a basketball fan, watching her husband Tony Parker play for San Antonio Spurs.

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also turned up, and American actress Jennifer Love Hewitt was in the crowd too, along with English actors John Hurt and Ray Winstone.

But they only saw Beckham play for 12 minutes as the former England captain protected an ankle injury, and Galaxy were beaten 1-0.

Celebrities are normally spotted at basketball games, but Beckham's arrival in America will almost certainly increase the number of stars at Major League Soccer matches.

LA Galaxy is owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which also promotes pop stars and film stars, and they are expected to use Beckham's arrival in Hollywood to raise the profile of football in America.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.