MARINA DEL REY, Calif. — David Beckham's focus will be on the Los Angeles pitch, not the Hollywood glitz.

Forgetting for the moment that Beckham's wife, Victoria, is a former Spice Girl, that they rank Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes among their best friends, and that one of Los Angeles' premier talent agencies negotiated his new contract with the MLS' Galaxy, Beckham is trying to concentrate on soccer.

"I'm coming there not to be a superstar," the 31-year-old Beckham said Friday via satellite from Madrid, Spain. "I'm coming there to be part of the team, to work hard and to hopefully win things.

"With me, it's about football. I'm coming there to make a difference. I'm coming there to play football."

Dressed in a black suit with white shirt and black tie, Beckham said he hopes to work with American youngsters and keep them interested in soccer when they are finished with youth leagues.

He's joining a so-so team in Major League Soccer, considered sort of bush league by fans in the more fervent soccer countries around the world.

"I'm not saying me coming over to the States is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. That would be difficult to achieve," Beckham said. "Baseball, basketball, American football, they've been around.

"But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could make a difference."