London, June 9 : Brazilian playmaker Kaka has revealed that England''s David Beckham, a former team-mate at AC Milan, convinced him to move to Spanish football club Real Madrid.

"I can officially say I''m a Real Madrid player," The Mirror quoted the 27-year-old, as saying, adding "My professional link with AC Milan finishes now, but my sentimental link will never end.”

"I spoke to some friends, like Beckham, who has already played for Real. He said it''s a fantastic place to play. I spoke to him this past week and he kept helping me, he said I made a positive choice for my career''s growth. Real Madrid intend to build a great team, with historic players such as Raul and Iker Casillas. We will make history again, both in Spain and Europe. I guess the sport project is very good,” Kaka said.

"Manchester City and Real Madrid are two different clubs with different situations. At that time (January), it was mid-season, I had a strong emotional impact due to the Italian fans requesting me to stay, and I decided to stay. Now another chance came up and AC Milan is in a big crisis (financially). For me, the sporting project (at Madrid) is interesting and will be an important boost to continue my career in the highest level,” he added.

"I''m happy to leave Milan by the front door, with a lot of friends. It has been very emotional to see what the Milan fans have done for me," Kaka said. (ANI)