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Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan has lifted the lid on the infamous dressing room bust-up between David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson that led to the England captain leaving Old Trafford.

Beckham was left with a gashed eye after being hit by a boot kicked by Ferguson in the aftermath of United's 2-0 FA Cup defeat against Arsenal at Old Trafford in 2003.

The United boss later apologised to his midfielder – but then sold Beckham to Real Madrid for £25million just a few months later.

And Forlan has revealed that it took the intervention of Roy Keane and Ruud van Nistelrooy to prevent the pair coming to blows.

Forlan, who has just announced his retirement from the game at the age of 40, recalled: “It was a tremendous rift.

(Image: Eamonn & James Clarke.)

“It was after a match against Arsenal in the FA Cup and Ferguson was not happy because Robert Pires had made a break down the left, Gary Neville was caught too far forward, and Beckham did not cover.

“In the locker room, Ferguson and Beckham began to insult each other.

“Every insult was worse than the last one and both men wanted to have the final word.

“Then Ferguson left and it seemed that the discussion was over, but then Beckham said something else.

(Image: Tom Purslow) (Image: Daily Mirror)

“Ferguson turned around and saw a boot lying on the floor and kicked it toward Beckham. A stud hit him in the eyebrow and he was cut.

“We all saw the blood and thought 'no, that didn't happen' but within a moment both men were getting ready to fight.

“That was when Roy Keane and Van Nistelrooy stepped in to separate them.”

(Image: PA)

Ferguson later suggested that he decided to kick Beckham out of the club because his showbiz lifestyle was casting a shadow over the club.

But Forlan insisted that the former England captain was a down-to-earth character – in contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo , the player who later inherited his No 7 shirt at United.

Forlan said: “Ronaldo was an egotist in the dressing room – not like Beckham.

“Cristiano always wanted to be near a mirror. He spent all day looking in the mirror.