"I have always loved football - of course I love my family, I have a wonderful life - but football is everything to me and joining Real Madrid is a dream. Hala Madrid (Come On Madrid)," said Beckham, after a brief presentation.

"At the start of last season I would never have imagined that I would be now pulling on a Real Madrid jersey," Beckham said later in an interview with Real Madrid TV, the only one he allowed during his two days in Madrid.

Beckham joins the Spanish champions, and nine times kings of Europe, on a four year contract worth an estimated six million euros a year before bonuses.

Real will pay Manchester United up to 35 million euros, the exact figure depends on the Spanish team's progress in the Champions League in the next four years, for the midfielder.

Confounding predictions that he would get just a blank jersey, Beckham was presented with a Real Madrid shirt No 23 by the club's honorary president and legendary striker Alfredo Di Stefano.

The number was vacant last season but club sources told reporters that the number was chosen because it is associated with the basketball legend Michael Jordan.

The choice was particularly apt as Beckham was shown off to an audience of approximately 1,000 journalists and technicians in Real Madrid's basketball arena.

"He's a symbol of our time, a great footballer and a great professional as well as a symbol of sacrifice," gushed Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in a prepared speech on Wednesday.

"Welcome to the theatre of dreams and I hope you realise your dreams here," added the construction magnate who has made at least one major signing every summer since he became president in July 2000.

Last summer, Ronaldo joined Real and he was preceded by the world record signings of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo.

Perez indicated that Beckham was not going to be his last big acquisition.

"We are going to continue to work and work to make this the best team possible. The only limit is our imagination," added Perez.

Beckham wore a pastel blue suit for the brief ceremony accompanied by his wife, the pop singer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who stood to one side of the stage and out of sight of many onlookers.

Much to many people's surprise, the presentation did not include the formal contract signing which is usually an integral part of any Spanish team's presentation of a new player.

A club official told AFP that Beckham had signed the legal documents relating to his contract the previous evening, during a brief visit to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

"Legally, maybe Beckham was a Real Madrid player last night but nobody at the club will have been thinking of Beckham as truly our player until he was presented with a Real Madrid shirt," the official told AFP.

Despite Beckham's few words, three of which were in Spanish including a blushing 'gracias' (thank you) as he received his jersey from Di Stefano, the 12 minute event was a lengthy affair compared to recent presentations.

Real Madrid have a policy of not allowing any questions from the assembled media and so Ronaldo was seen off in just five minutes in the press room at the Santiago Bernabeu 12 months ago.

Zinedine Zidane hung around for one minute longer at Real Madrid's former training ground Ciudad Deportivo in 2001 while Luis Figo was on stage for a tardy 10 minutes in Real Madrid's trophy room three years ago.

After the presentation, Beckham went through a few stunts with a football and signed autographs for many of the 1,000 children who had been let into Real Madrid's former training ground, which is alongside the basketball arena, to witness his arrival. Many of the youngsters were wearing Manchester United or England shirts.

"Welcome, David Beckham. We love you," said one banner held by an adolescent girl, confirming Beckham's status as a cultural icon as well as a footballer.

The player will return to Britain later Wednesday before returning to the Spanish capital on July 24, on the eve of Real Madrid's Far Eastern pre-season tour which starts with 10 days training in China.

Beckham admitted in his interview with Real Madrid TV that he was still not certain where he would be playing when he finally joined his new team mates.

"We haven't been talking about my position. The first thing I need to do is play for my place in the team and everything comes after that. I know I will have to fight and that is what I'll be doing," said Beckham.