David Beckham Confirms His Retirement

SlickRic

David Beckham is set to retire from football, bringing an end to a glittering career on the field.

Since his debut for Manchester United two decades ago, the 38-year-old has emerged as arguably the most iconic sportsman of his generation, captaining his country, collecting 115 caps, and celebrated as a champion in four different countries - the only British footballer in history to do so.

Despite the offer of an extended one-year deal at Paris Saint-German, sources in Paris have told Sportsmail that the 38-year-old has played his last game, bowing out on a high after helping Carlo Ancelotti's side win the French title for the first time in 19 years.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2325558/David-Beckham-set-retire-football--world-exclusive.html

i can't handle all the change :P

Corvo

First Sir Alex, then Scholes and now Beckham.

What next? Keith Gillespie?

WHY GOD WHY!!!

SlickRic

it just makes me feel old.

missingtime

Always liked Becks, seems to be a great professional and certainly not as dumb as people make out.

Lovely Bloke

Xavi6

Hard not to like the guy, loves football and has a cracking life off the park.

iDave

I dont like change

castletownman

Corvo wrote: »

First Sir Alex, then Scholes and now Beckham.

What next? Keith Gillespie?

WHY GOD WHY!!!

Hopefully, for United's sake, Giggs

Hidalgo

2 England internationals announce their retirements in quick succession, first Joey BArton, now Beckham.

mike65

Barton has retired? :eek: (I'm not on twitter so didn't realise)

SlickRic

the only English player to win league titles in 4 different countries.

Pepe LeFrits

Great pro.

Darkglasses

mike65 wrote: »

Barton has retired? :eek: (I'm not on twitter so didn't realise)

From international football, he was having a go at Rio.

Beefy78

Being English I hold a special place for David Beckham. I'm sure for people from other countries the love for Beckham must seem a little odd but talk to anyone who actually follows the England team to matches either at Wembley or abroad and the people who spend their time and money to go to those games tend to have nothing but good things to say about the man and that's not somethnig that you could say about just about any other members of "the golden generation". I always remember being at Wembley the night we lost to Croatia to not qualify for Euro 2008 and Beckham was the one guy who the crowd didn't turn on after the final whistle.

Top lad and I'm sure he'll be successful in whatever else he chooses to do for the rest of his days.

GavRedKing

Beefy78 wrote: »

Being English I hold a special place for David Beckham. I'm sure for people from other countries the love for Beckham must seem a little odd but talk to anyone who actually follows the England team to matches either at Wembley or abroad and the people who spend their time and money to go to those games tend to have nothing but good things to say about the man and that's not somethnig that you could say about just about any other members of "the golden generation". I always remember being at Wembley the night we lost to Croatia to not qualify for Euro 2008 and Beckham was the one guy who the crowd didn't turn on after the final whistle.

Top lad and I'm sure he'll be successful in whatever else he chooses to do for the rest of his days.

I think he told a Sky interviewer he had no intention of staying in the game once his playing days were up.

TBF hes made more then enough money to sit back and relax wherever he wants.

He's a good ambassador for the game and I'd say he'll keep that side of it up.

Augmerson

I used to buy Match magazine as a kid, and I remembering one issue they had a special on stars of the future or something like that. That issue it was David Beckham and it said if you sent away a letter you'd get one back with his autograph, and I did! It came with a picture of him in an old United away kit (blue and white) and it was signed and a letter all about things he liked. Still have the autograph somewhere. He looks about 18 in the picture and he is about to kick a ball.

iDave

Beefy78 wrote: »

I always remember being at Wembley the night we lost to Croatia to not qualify for Euro 2008 and Beckham was the one guy who the crowd didn't turn on after the final whistle.

Perhaps you were too worn out from turning on him in '98

Xavi6

SlickRic

.

Former United favourite Paddy Crerand has reacted angrily to reports of David Beckham's retirement, dismissing them as "more bloody lies".

OneColdHand

SlickRic wrote: »

.

Haha! I'm starting to love Paddy Crerand's utter delusion!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/listen-paddy-crerands-angry-rant-1876049

Beefy78

iDave wrote: »

Perhaps you were too worn out from turning on him in '98

I see what you did there.

He was national enemy no.1 there without a doubt. It's a measure of the man (or the fickleness of football fans) that he got back into everyone's good books over the next few years.

kfallon

A right foot that could open a tin of fruit!

Great pro, made some career for himself on & off the pitch!

Winston Payne

Finished as a top-level player since, at the very latest, '07. Peaked long before then. Ultimately let England down in major tournaments. Thank God he's finally gone tbh.

kfallon

Winston Payne wrote: »

Finished as a top-level player since, at the very latest, '07. Peaked long before then. Ultimately let England down in major tournaments. Thank God he's finally gone tbh.

He was hardly alone in that to be fair to him!

Pro. F

Winston Payne wrote: »

Finished as a top-level player since, at the very latest, '07. Peaked long before then. Ultimately let England down in major tournaments. Thank God he's finally gone tbh.

Blaming a winger for England's problems is the type of nonsense that shows a complete failure to understand how football works.

It's funny that him prolonging his career with a string of glamour clubs annoyed you so much. Makes me happy he did it now.

Winston Payne

Pro. F wrote: »

Blaming a winger for England's problems is the type of nonsense that shows a complete failure to understand how football works.

It's funny that him prolonging his career with a string of glamour clubs annoyed you so much. Makes me happy he did it now.

That's what I did alright.

fozz10

Average winger only got by on his ability on dead ball situations and potential shirt Sales revenue

Chucky the tree

Winston Payne wrote: »

Finished as a top-level player since, at the very latest, '07. Peaked long before then. Ultimately let England down in major tournaments. Thank God he's finally gone tbh.

What English player hasn't?

Pro. F

Winston Payne wrote: »

That's what I did alright.

You said he let England down in major tournaments. It's nonsense. They've always been shít because of their silly kick and rush style. The fact that their best winger didn't save their asses doesn't mean he let them down.

Winston Payne

Pro. F wrote: »

You said he let England down in major tournaments. It's nonsense. They've always been shít because of their silly kick and rush style. The fact that their best winger didn't save their asses doesn't mean he let them down.

I'm talking about his individual performances. They weren't up to it. I made no mention of England's style or wider strategy, so I don't know why you're bringing that into it, into a thread about David Beckham.

Pro. F

Winston Payne wrote: »

I'm talking about his individual performances. They weren't up to it. I made no mention of England's style or wider strategy, so I don't know why you're bringing that into it, into a thread about David Beckham.

Because those things are what affects the wingers' performances. If the team are playing kick and rush football against quality international opposition that means the wingers (and strikers) aren't going to be able to perform properly.

Your "ultimately he let England down in major tournaments" can be equally applied to pretty much every striker and winger they've had for the last forty years. There's a reason for that. It's a ridiculous criticism to hold against a winger.

FatherTed

Winston Payne wrote: »

Finished as a top-level player since, at the very latest, '07. Peaked long before then. Ultimately let England down in major tournaments. Thank God he's finally gone tbh.

Scored in 3 World Cups. Not many players can say that.

Seaneh

Worked his bollocks off on the pitch during his two stints at Milan, much respect for the man as an athlete and as a professional.
Not as good as the media made him out to be at times, but nowhere near as bad as some people like to believe he was, perfect role model for younger players.

Regularly covered more ground than anyone else on the field and on more than one occasion pushed himself to his physical limit to help his team, not often you see players working so hard they puke on the pitch!

Kerrigooney

Wasn't much of a fan of him as a footballer but he always came across as a really nice fella. Got an awful lot of undeserved abuse imo. Best of luck to him.

M5

Youhan Cabaye

Thank you M. Beckham! Especially to have made me like free kicks

castletownman

Seaneh wrote: »

Worked his bollocks off on the pitch during his two stints at Milan, much respect for the man as an athlete and as a professional.
Not as good as the media made him out to be at times, but nowhere near as bad as some people like to believe he was, perfect role model for younger players.

Regularly covered more ground than anyone else on the field and on more than one occasion pushed himself to his physical limit to help his team, not often you see players working so hard they puke on the pitch!

Not his fault. Has been the plague of every English footballer since the introduction of Sky.

eagle eye

I think in British terms he was a great player. Absolutely the best crosser of a ball I've ever seen and one of the greatest free kick takers but he also was a really hard worker on the pitch.

I remember between about '98 and '02 most fans picking a best EPL side had Becks, Keane and Giggs in it and even picking world best elevens a lot would have those three in it with Zidane.

For me he was a class act both on and off the field. I'm sure we will hear plenty about him over the coming years and I fancy despite what he has said recently that in time he will look to go coaching in the game although its also very likely that he rises through the ranks and becomes a senior figure in either FIFA or UEFA.

chughes

Instead of a gold watch for his retirement I wonder will he get golden balls??

Paully D

Brilliant player and I'm sad to see him retire.

6 Premier League titles, a Champions League, 2 FA Cups, a La Liga, a Supercopa, a Ligue 1 title and 2 MLS titles. Over 750 games, over 110 goals and over 150 assists.

People say he's overrated, but you just don't play for top clubs in so many countries with a record like the above if you are overrated.

Not many people talk about it when the refer to Beckham, but in his younger days he averaged around 12km's of distance covered per game. That's phenomenal. As Fergie said - ''David Beckham is Britain's finest striker of a football not because of God-given talent but because he practises with a relentless application that the vast majority of less gifted players wouldn't contemplate." That, rather than anything else, sums him up for me.

He has it all, on and off the field, but he has worked damn hard for it.

All the best to him in his retirement and I hope that's not the last we see of him in football.

Dempsey

A model professional, an inspiration to kids looking to learn things about the game despite his high profile personal life and the criticism he seems to attract because of that.

To criticize his game, he lacked pace for a winger but he didnt need it, his technique & crossing ability is the benchmark for all footballers, there are very few better than him at free kicks (Juninho Pernambucano being the best I've ever seen). Known to hit a few great long passes when he wanted aswell.

To criticize the man, his retirement makes me feel old!

darced

This post has been deleted.

Gorilla Rising

Exemplary professional.

He's had a great career spanning Europe's biggest clubs in their respective countries and collected a few medals on his way.

He'll be missed in the game.

I was always impressed with how hard he worked while at Milan for those few month stints.

He'll make a great ambassador.

Xavi6

Gorilla Rising wrote: »

He'll make a great ambassador.

Indeed

http://www.cheshire-today.co.uk/15636/man-utd-legend-beckham-to-join-man-city/

Man Utd legend Beckham to join Man City

Manchester United’s iconic former player David Beckham could be part of the Manchester City set-up next year, according to the latest stories coming out of the Middle East.

The rumours, which seem to have some substance, suggest that Beckham who announced his retirement from football today is being earmarked to lead a bid, funded primarily by Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour , to create a new MLS franchise in New York.

The plan to create a City-MLS team has already been widely reported.

After a year and a half of deliberations, MLS bosses have decided they want Abu Dhabi money – a whopping $100m just to get involved – to front up their 20th ,and potentially most lucrative, franchise.

For City the move is seen as a game-changer in terms of global brand perception.

English teams, notably Man United, have tried before to crack what is regarded as a key future market, but have always failed. This time the reasoning is that the Sheik’s almost unlimited wealth will give the necessary time for the club to prosper.

Beckham, who has a personal fortune in the region of £135 million, has never denied the suggestion that upon retirement he would look to buy an MLS franchise – though the smart money was on Los Angeles

Sheikh Mansour , meanwhile, is a huge fan of Beckham and does not regard the United link as problematic. The suggestion is that Becks will front the bid on behalf of Man City, but will also be given, or will purchase, a minority stake in the new venture.

Mr.Nice Guy

He was an icon from my youth. Probably why this retirement hits me harder than the vast majority of them do.

I can remember looking at Match and Shoot magazine pictures of him and wishing I had a haircut like he had in the late nineties. It was funny when he shaved it, and you had kids and even older lads copying the style and going for the skinhead look.

I find I have a lot of fond memories associated with Beckham. I remember being on holiday down the country and hearing the Beckham goal vs Wimbledon was worth checking out on MOTD. Seeing him score from the halfway line that night took everyone in my family's breath away. That's probably the moment that made him a star.

I also admired his goal for England against Greece and that match was arguably his finest performance. He seemed to be the only England player to give a damn. I was happy for him that he received the adulation that he did, considering all the OTT crap he took for the red card vs Argentina. I think people forget the scale of the abuse he suffered then - as a young man, as well - for that Simeone incident. His personal life was brought into it by opposition fans and I think he handled that whole period with marvellous dignity and determination.

Another memory that stands out for me: I recall when he got married all the girls my age were desperate to see the photos of it and bought whatever magazine it was that covered it. It's amazing that 15 odd years after that, the interest in him and his wife is still substantial. He was often mocked for quite a long period as being quite thick. Impressionist shows used to give that impression a lot. I think it's unfair. When you look at what he's achieved outside the sport, the guy clearly has a wise head on his shoulders and rarely makes a poor decision.

I will primarily remember him for the football, though. He had one of the sweetest right pegs of the modern era; his passing, shooting, crossing and set-piece ability were all exceptional. I think he was a great role model, too. He became a global celebrity and unlike a lot of other footballers, he rarely if ever dragged the sport's image down. He generally carried himself well and never got too big for his boots. He comes across like a good guy, too.

Best of luck to him and his family. In my opinion, Beckham is a player who has been underrated for being so overrated.

messinkiapina

Very good player, but people hype him up way beyond his true abilities. If he looked like Matt Le Tissier he wouldn't have got half the acclaim. If Le Tissier looked like Beckham, those same people would be people putting Le Tissier in the Pele/Maradona bracket.

EdenHazard

maradona or messi are hardly beckham types either in fairness.

Beefy78

Le Tissier was better than Pele.

LuckyLloyd

Not a great player? Played a lot of games as one of the first names on the team sheet for Man Utd, Real Madrid and Milan. Greatness does not have to be Messi or Zidane.

sReq | uTeK

Why has greatness become synonymous with Messi, Zidane, Pele & Maradonna.

Great player for united in a great 4 man midfield and he would WALK into the team now ahead of any of our right wingers, 152 assists in 262 games, yes please.

swimming in a sea

Beckham really benefited from Fergies strong management, Fergie knew he was a good winger but he never tolerated Beckhams own daft ideas that he could control a midfield.
The opposite was true of Sven Goran Eriksson who gave into Beckham(& the media) allowing a totally unfit Beckham to play in the 2002 world cup. This backfired when he jumped out of the tackle that led to the Brazil equalizer in the quarter final. Then the disaster that was the Northern Ireland game where he played in the center and got over run.

Great winger but Fergie new when to move him on..

patmac

A good player, but not a great player Bill.