BECKHAM ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Paris Saint-Germain
midfielder David
Beckham has
announced that he will
retire from football at
the end of the season.
The 38-year-old only
moved to the French capital on a short-
term contract in January but the Parisiens
were keen for the former England captain
to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes
for another season.
However, even though Beckham played his
part in PSG ending their 18-year wait for a
Ligue 1 title, the midfielder has now
decided to bring the curtain down on his
illustrious career this summer.
"I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the
opportunity to continue but I feel now is
the right time to finish my career, playing
at the highest level," he said in a
statement.
"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
100 times and lined up for some of the
biggest clubs in the world, I would have
told you it was a fantasy.
"I'm fortunate to have realised those
dreams. Nothing will ever completely
replace playing the game I love. However,
I feel like I'm starting a new adventure and
I'm genuinely excited about what lies
ahead.
"I'm fortunate to have been given many
opportunities throughout my career and
now I feel it's my time to give back."
Beckham has established himself as one of
the most recognisable faces in sport during
a remarkable career that has spanned two
decades.
He made his name at Manchester United,
winning six Premier League titles, two FA
Cups and one Champions League with the
Red Devils before joining Real Madrid in
2003.
Beckham lifted La Liga in his final season at
the Santiago Bernabeu before shocking the
footballing world by moving to LA Galaxy,
with whom he won two MLS Cups. Perhaps
more significantly, though, he played a
massive role in boosting football’s
popularity in the United States.
After two loan spells with AC Milan during
his time in America, he eventually returned
to Europe earlier this year with PSG, picking
another domestic championship to become
the first Englishman to win titles in four
different countries.
In his homeland, though, he will probably
best be remembered for his captaincy of
the national team, and the trademark free
kick against Greece which secured his
country's qualification for the 2002 World
Cup.
"I'm honored to represent England both on
and off the pitch," he enthused. "I want to
thank all my team-mates, 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."
Beckham's final two outings are likely to
come against Brest, at the Parc des Princes
on Saturday, and away to Lorient, on May
25.