AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has declared that David Beckham will be welcome back for a third spell at the club next year.
Beckham's second spell on loan at the Rossoneri from LA Galaxy came to a sad and abrupt end on Sunday night when he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the 1-0 win over Chievo, a knock that has seen the veteran England star ruled out of this summer's World Cup.
Beckham could be out of action for up to eight months, with Galliani expecting him to miss at least six, but the Milan bigwig says that the 34-year-old is welcome to return once again in 2011.
Galliani told Italian newspaper La Repubblica: "David will probably be out for five to six months. I saw him suffering.
"I gave him a hug in the changing rooms and I told him that if he wants, next year he will be with us."
Beckham will undergo an operation at the hands of surgeon Sakari Orava in Finland on Monday, but some doomsayers have questioned whether or not he will ever return to playing after this utterly massive blow.
Galliani has no doubts, however, adding: ""He came to Milan to be called up by (England boss Fabio) Capello. Unfortunately, this is football but Beckham has great will power."
On surgeon Orava, a confident Galliani added: "He is a genius in his field."