"I went for the gaffer," Beckham wrote in his autobiography serialised in the Sun newspaper on Monday. "I don't know if I've ever lost control like that in my life before."

The England captain said he had to be restrained by team mates after Ferguson blamed him for Arsenal's second goal in United's 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

"A couple of the lads stood up," Beckham wrote. "Suddenly it was like some mad scene out of a gangster movie with them holding me back as I tried to get to the gaffer."

IMMEDIATELY APOLOGISED

The boot kicked by Ferguson struck Beckham above the eye, drawing blood, and he said the manager immediately apologised to him.

Ferguson described the incident as "freakish" the week after it happened.

"The only reaction I have to the publicity it's created is that it was an incident which was freakish," he said. "First and foremost you have to stress that in 29 years as a coach whatever happens in the dressing room remains sacrosanct."

Beckham also said in a section of his autobiography serialised in the News of the World on Sunday that his relationship with Ferguson started to deteriorate after his manager criticised him for visiting the Queen. Beckham had sustained an injury in a match last season and went to Buckingham Palace the following week with the rest of England's World Cup squad.

"I had a broken rib," Beckham wrote. "I didn't have any choice but to rest. The whole England squad was invited to Buckingham Palace, which was something I couldn't miss out on.

"I felt unbelievably proud, being introduced to Her Majesty the Queen as England captain."

Beckham said when he returned to training with United following the injury he "began to feel a chill in the atmosphere between me and Alex Ferguson".

"He (Ferguson) reckoned I'd have been fit sooner if I hadn't waited those extra couple of days before going away," Beckham wrote.

Beckham was sold by United to Real Madrid for 35 million euros ($38.27 million) in July.