By Andrew Warshaw
November 20 – Former England captain David Beckham is quitting LA Galaxy in the United States after six years for one last hurrah before his retirement from the game.
Months after signing a new deal with the MLS club, Beckham, 37, has announced he will leave after the season-ending Cup final on December 1.
“I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career,” Beckham said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Melbourne Heart in Australia claimed they were in talks with Beckham over a “10-game stint” despite his camp denying he had any plans to play in the A League which has become increasingly popular following the landmark signing of Italian icon Alessandro del Piero.
Beckham, who made 398 appearances for Manchester United before moving to Real Madrid, is still by far the most recognizable and popular English footballer.
In recent years he played a key ambassadorial role in helping London win the right to stage the Olympics and was part of the campaign team that tried unsuccessfully to bring the 2018 World Cup to England.
MLS officials have frequently stated they would love Beckham to take on an administrative role after he stops playing and he seems to be prepared to do just that at some point.
“I don’t see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future,” said Beckham (pictured above with wife Victoria).
His initial contract with the league included a clause allowing him to be involved in owning an MLS expansion team down the line.
Although Beckham helped Galaxy to its third MLS Cup crown last year, his decision – twice – to move on loan to AC Milan during the American off-season was not universally condoned.
The second time, he tore an Achilles tendon that kept him out of a large part of the following MLS season.
He has struggled with injuries of late, missing almost two months of action before this month’s MLS play-offs.
Whilst it is hard to imagine him being recruited by a top European team, his promotional and marketing clout will make him an attractive proposition.
Australia would seem the ideal platform despite official denials that he will head for Down Under to enhance football’s profile – just as he did in the States.
The other option, perhaps, is China, which is paying big bucks to top names including Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka and which could exploit “Brand Beckham” like no-where else among emerging footballing nations.
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