David Beckham, the English midfielder
who combined devastating free kicks,
dashing good looks and savvy marketing
to become one of the most recognizable
athletes in the world, announced
Thursday that he would retire from
soccer at season's end.
Beckham, 38, has played his final season
for Paris St.-Germain, adding a French
league championship to the ones he won
in England with Manchester United, in
Spain with Real Madrid and in the United
States with the Los Angeles Galaxy. His
achievements on the field and smart
branding by his camp and the shoe
company Adidas made him an icon of his
generation and a household name
everywhere the game is played.
"If you had told me as a young boy I
would have played for and won trophies
with my boyhood club Manchester
United, proudly captained and played for
my country over one hundred times and
lined up for some of the biggest clubs in
the world, I would have told you it was a
fantasy," Beckham said in a statement.
"I'm fortunate to have realized those
dreams."
Beckham's glory years came at
Manchester United, where he won six
Premier League titles, two F.A. Cups and
the 1999 Champions League title under
Manager Alex Ferguson, who
coincidentally also retired this month. He
joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2003
in a blockbuster transfer worth $45
million.
His next move was to the Los Angeles
Galaxy, in 2007, where his mere
prescence lifted the profile of then-
struggling Major League Soccer. And while
he angered fans with two off-season
loans to A.C. Milan in Italy, he delivered
two league championships before leaving
last year.
Beckham also made 115 appearances for
England, a record for an outfield player,
and represented his country in three
World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006). He might
have played in a fourth in 2010, but he
tore his Achilles tendon three months
before the opening while playing for A.C.
Milan in Italy.
Instead he was invited to join Coach
Fabio Capello's staff as a liaison between
the coaches and the players. That could
be a hint of his plans for life after his
playing career, if his decision is indeed
final, though he has long been rumored
to be interested in club ownership,
especially in Major League Soccer.
"I'm thankful to P.S.G. for giving me the
opportunity to continue, but I feel now is
the right time to finish my career, playing
at the highest level," Beckham said in a
statement Thursday.
who combined devastating free kicks,
dashing good looks and savvy marketing
to become one of the most recognizable
athletes in the world, announced
Thursday that he would retire from
soccer at season's end.
Beckham, 38, has played his final season
for Paris St.-Germain, adding a French
league championship to the ones he won
in England with Manchester United, in
Spain with Real Madrid and in the United
States with the Los Angeles Galaxy. His
achievements on the field and smart
branding by his camp and the shoe
company Adidas made him an icon of his
generation and a household name
everywhere the game is played.
"If you had told me as a young boy I
would have played for and won trophies
with my boyhood club Manchester
United, proudly captained and played for
my country over one hundred times and
lined up for some of the biggest clubs in
the world, I would have told you it was a
fantasy," Beckham said in a statement.
"I'm fortunate to have realized those
dreams."
Beckham's glory years came at
Manchester United, where he won six
Premier League titles, two F.A. Cups and
the 1999 Champions League title under
Manager Alex Ferguson, who
coincidentally also retired this month. He
joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2003
in a blockbuster transfer worth $45
million.
His next move was to the Los Angeles
Galaxy, in 2007, where his mere
prescence lifted the profile of then-
struggling Major League Soccer. And while
he angered fans with two off-season
loans to A.C. Milan in Italy, he delivered
two league championships before leaving
last year.
Beckham also made 115 appearances for
England, a record for an outfield player,
and represented his country in three
World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006). He might
have played in a fourth in 2010, but he
tore his Achilles tendon three months
before the opening while playing for A.C.
Milan in Italy.
Instead he was invited to join Coach
Fabio Capello's staff as a liaison between
the coaches and the players. That could
be a hint of his plans for life after his
playing career, if his decision is indeed
final, though he has long been rumored
to be interested in club ownership,
especially in Major League Soccer.
"I'm thankful to P.S.G. for giving me the
opportunity to continue, but I feel now is
the right time to finish my career, playing
at the highest level," Beckham said in a
statement Thursday.
Cyril 16 May, 2013
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/Jxiis/~3/agWDC9VAqwc/beckham-announces-retirement-from.html
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