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By Tom Hopkinson

David Beckham will try to convince at least four big-name England stars, including Steven Gerrard, to join the MLS – once he has sorted out his own future, writes the Sunday People.

The former England captain, who has offers from around the globe, is not expected to make a decision on his next move until mid-February at the earliest.

But once that is secured and he has settled into his new team, his role as an MLS recruitment officer will see him target his old Three Lions pals Peter Crouch, Ashley Cole, Gerrard and Michael Carrick in a bid to convince them to end their careers in the US.

They are the four stars who MLS bigwigs want to see plying their trade Stateside and, while Yank bosses know they cannot realistically hope to recruit any of them while they’re still at their peak, there is a hope they would want to finish their footballing days across the Pond.

An MLS source said: “With the wages, lifestyle, and anonymity the world’s top soccer players have playing in the MLS, it makes it an ideal destination for them to finish their careers.”

The players could expect to earn between £3million and £4m a year.

Becks, meanwhile, has attracted interest from French sides Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, Aussie side Perth Glory and Chinese outfit Shanghai Shenhua.

Pennant's American dream

EXCLUSIVE by Darren Witcoop

Jermaine Pennant is hoping that the American dream can revive his career, writes the Sunday People.

Forgotten star Pennant is out of contract at Stoke City in the summer and his days at the Britannia look numbered.

Pennant, 30, has just returned from a woeful three-month loan spell with Championship side Wolves.

But the former Arsenal winger, who spent a short stint with Real Zaragoza in Spain, could be on his travels again.

Pennant reckons a switch across the pond to the MLS could be on the horizon.

He revealed: “Playing in America is a strong option for me. You only have to see the calibre of players there of past and present to see how the league is improving.

“It is getting stronger with every year.”

Pennant has played for 10 clubs – but for all his qualities on the pitch, it is his antics off it that concern bosses, including a three-month jail sentence for drink driving.