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Beckham Announces Retirement From Soccer Beckham Announces Retirement From Soccer
(34 minutes later)
LONDON — David Beckham said he would retire from professional soccer at the end of the season. 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, who recently won a league title in a fourth country with Paris St.-Germain, has become a global superstar since starting his career at Manchester United. 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.“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.
Beckham also played for Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy, winning titles with both of those clubs as well as with United.
“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,” he said. “I’m fortunate to have realized those dreams.”
On the international stage, Beckham holds the England record for making 115 appearances as an outfield player for the national team.
“To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country,” Beckham said. “I knew every time I wore the Three Lions shirt, I was not only following in a long line of great players, I was also representing every fan that cared passionately about their country.
“I’m honored to represent England both on and off the pitch ... I want to thank all my teammates, the great managers that I had the pleasure of learning from. I also want to thank the fans who have all supported me and given me the strength to succeed.”