LONDON: England midfielder David Beckham has admitted his greatest wish was to be respected as a role model after proving the critics wrong since his World Cup sending-off.

But while he insisted that he would never dilute the fiery character which led to his downfall in St Etienne, he showed his developing maturity as he faced the media before tomorrow's Euro 2000 qualifier against Sweden.

``I love kids or young players looking up to me and respecting me. That's something I always did as a youngster--look up to great players like Bryan Robson and Bobby Charlton. That's how I want to be looked at.''

TV officials deny deal for Lewis-Holyfield fight

LAS VEGAS: Details have not been settled for November's Lennox Lewis- Evander Holyfield heavyweight unification rematch here despite promoter Don King's announcement of such a deal.

So say the television officials who came to an extraordinary agreement to create the first fight that ended in acontroversial draw last March at Madison Square Garden in New York.

King had announced a deal with a Las Vegas casino firm for hosting rights. Madison Square Garden had been vying with Las Vegas bidders for a chance at the rematch.

Wife of F1 team boss robbed

LONDON: The wife of motor racing boss Sir Frank Williams was robbed of 100,000 pounds (about Rs 70 lakh) in jewellery and a luxury car by knife-wielding muggers, sources said.

Lady Williams, 52, was confronted outside her exclusive apartment block in South Kensington, west London by two thugs, one carrying a sheath-knife.

They forced her to hand over a number of jewels and the keys to her BMW estate car, said a spokesman for Scotland Yard.

Multi-millionaire Sir Frank is one of the biggest names in Formula One motor racing. He has been wheel-chair bound since a car crash in 1986.

Aussie goalkeeper arrested on eve of wedding

BIRMINGHAM: Mark Bosnich, Manchester United's new Australian goalkeeper, was arrested hours before hisscheduled wedding on Friday, on suspicion of assaulting and robbing a news photographer at a nightclub.

Bosnich was released on bail and ordered to appear for further police questioning on July 21. The 27-year-old 'keeper left Sutton Coldfield police station by a rear door and was whisked away by a waiting car. Photographer Jamie Jones, the man allegedly assaulted, declined to comment.