TORONTO - It's been almost a year since David Beckham sat in his tailored suit on the sidelines of BMO Field, watching as his Los Angeles Galaxy played Toronto FC to a scoreless draw.

The buzz of anticipation in the air that night fizzled into disappointment for Becks fans as the former England captain sat out the game with an ankle injury.

The wait's finally over.

Beckham, who didn't travel to Toronto for the Galaxy's game earlier this season due to England team duties, will make his BMO Field debut Thursday when Major League Soccer's biggest stars take on English premier squad West Ham United in the annual MLS all-star game (7 p.m. ET).

"Obviously it was frustrating for myself last year, because I wasn't able to play, but this year, being able to train every day, and play in every game, it's helped me understand the game a lot better," Beckham said Wednesday.

A year into his stint in the MLS, Beckham-mania perhaps isn't quite as crazy as it was when the 33-year-old landed in Toronto for the Galaxy's Aug. 5 game.

But MLS commissioner Don Garber said the addition of Beckham has been a huge boost to the league.

"We've achieved more with the signing of David Beckham than I think we believed ever could be achieved," Garber said at a news conference. "The league has more respect and credibility and awareness here in North America and around the world.

"And what we've achieve with David is the quality of play is a bit more competitive. David goes out there and leaves his heart on the field. . ."

Beckham and his teammates, including Toronto defender Jim Brennan - one of three Canadians on the all-star squad - practised on a slick BMO Field pitch Wednesday under a drizzling rain.

(Canadians Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad were delayed in Washington, where their Houston Dynamo was facing D.C. United in a makeup game Wednesday night.)

Afterwards, the soft-spoken player with the perpetual grin patiently answered questions from several dozen reporters in a wide-ranging press conference. Beckham said all the right things, praising the Toronto fans, the much-maligned artificial turf field, and even the rainy weather.

"It's a big part of the MLS, especially here in Toronto, the fans are always great for the home team," he said, when asked about fan support. "Also it's nice to go away from home and have fans like the ones here in Toronto."

He insisted he doesn't mind the artificial turf, which has been harshly criticized by numerous other players.

"I think it's a good field here, to be honest," he said. "I think it's something that you don't play on week in and week out, but it's flat, the ball rolls well on it, and I think at the end of the day, soccer's the same all around the world, it doesn't matter where you play or what you play on."

Beckham said facing West Ham will be particularly special. He grew up in London's East End, near the Hammers' stadium, and many of his friends were fans of the claret and blue.

"It's great, being an East End boy, playing against West Ham so many times for Manchester United and also scoring against West Ham, which didn't go down well with a few friends," Beckham said, laughing.

He said he's keen to keep the MLS All-Stars' perfect record against international club teams intact.

"They're a team that's got some good players, they're working toward the start of the Premiership. Of course, it's great to play against good opposition and it will be a tough game," Beckham said. "We're looking forward to that. You always want to play against good players and good teams and we're up against that."

The MLS has gone 4-0 since the league changed formats, choosing a club team as the opponent. They beat Guadalajara 3-1, Fulham 4-1, and blanked Chelsea 1-0. Beckham had just arrived in the U.S. when the MLS defeated Celtic 2-0 in last summer's all-star game, handing out a trophy at halftime.

While Beckham barely played last season, he's done well this year, scoring five goals and notching a league-leading seven assists. He's twice been named MLS player of the week, and is a big reason why L.A. is in the hunt for the top spot in the Western Conference.

Beckham's teammates say he'll be up for a big game Thursday.

"My guess is he's going to take it very seriously," said L.A. Galaxy forward Landon Donovan. "He usually does. He knows that this league is better than people give it credit for, especially in England."

West Ham forward Dean Ashton said the addition of Beckham has turned a spotlight on the MLS.

"There's no getting away from it, David Beckham is huge all over the world and because he's English he's huge in England as well, so he's definitely lifted the profile of the MLS," Ashton said. "I think obviously a lot of people were surprised that he did come over here, they felt like he could still play a part in European football.

"But I think it's shown already that he made a great decision and he's definitely helped the MLS and helped the profile in England as well."

West Ham comes in early in their exhibition season, and on the heels of a 3-1 win over the Crew at Columbus in a friendly on Sunday.

Manager Alan Curbishley said West Ham quickly accepted when asked a few months ago to participate in the all-star event.

"We looked into it and realized (Thursday) night's game is a big event for everyone connected with the MLS," Curbishley said. "We do realize it's a game everybody looks forward to, and we're looking forward to it as well.

"We've heard about the Toronto fans. Our fans are quite volatile as well, they get behind the team, so we're looking forward to it."

While the MLS All-Stars are in mid-season form, the West Ham players are only in the third week of their pre-season. West Ham defender Lucas Neill said he figures the players have about 70 minutes of decent soccer in them.

"It's going to be a tough game for us. I think later on in the game we'll look a little bit jaded," he said. "But I think the adrenaline and excitement that surrounds the game will keep us going, because we realize it's such a big stage and the exposure is great and there's a lot at stake. Trans-Atlantic pride."

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