...wow!

Beckham's Real career ending with move to L.A.

By Simon Baskett

MADRID (Reuters) - Former England captain David Beckham will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and sign a five-year deal with MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy, he told Reuters on Thursday.

"This week Real Madrid asked me to make a decision regarding my future and the offer to extend my contract for a further two seasons," Beckham told Reuters.

"After discussing several options with my family and my advisors to either stay here in Madrid or join other major British and European teams I have decided to join LA Galaxy and play in the MLS from August this year.

"I would like to thank supporters and the people of Madrid who have made my family and I so welcome in my time here making this an extremely difficult decision to make.

"I have enjoyed my time here enormously and I am extremely grateful to the club for giving me an opportunity to play for such a great team and their amazing fans."

The 31-year-old, who joined Real from Manchester United in June 2003, is the most famous player to sign up for Major League Soccer since it began in 1996.

The deal is reported to be one of the biggest in global sport with Beckham set to earn more than $250 million over the duration of his contract.

The news ends months of speculation about the future of the midfielder whose contract with Real expires at the end of the season.

Having been first choice in the Real Madrid starting lineup since he moved to Spain, Beckham lost his place following the arrival of Italian coach Fabio Capello.

He has only started five of Real's 16 league games this season and was known to be frustrated with his lack of opportunities in the first team.


source

Like I didn't see this coming.

One fag less in Madrid these days than and I wonder what Guti will do without Beckham on his spare time?!

guess it won't be long until Ronaldo rolls his way to this side of the ocean

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quote:

[11:58] Bas //: fuck he's hot

fair play to him,he'll look like a great player again over there

Nice.

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there goes his career

quote:

Originally posted by InterMilan31 there goes his career

mmmm hmmm.

but you have to wonder if it really will be the start of a wave.

maybe 5-10 years US will have nothing but 35 yr old former stars playing for MLS and no home youth developement once again.

quote:

Originally posted by InterMilan31 there goes his career

His career finished when he joined Real.

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quote:

Originally posted by Cloud His career finished when he joined Real.

not really fag lover

quote:

Originally posted by InterMilan31 not really fag lover

fuck off

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I'm excited to see this move for two reasons. First, I'm glad I'll be able to see a football world icon play in my backyard. It's rare that such a face is seen on the pitch State side. The only times such players are found playing on US soil is either for whatever Cup qualifying match maybe taking place or whenever a foreign national team comes to play a friendly. And I don’t have to remind you how large the US is, so it’s rare that I find myself in Columbus, Ohio or Kansas City, Missouri or Phoenix, Arizona for such matches. Now, that Beckham has agreed to play for Los Angeles I can make the 25 minute drive to The Home Depot Center Stadium in Carson from my home to watch him play.

Secondly, this move ushers in the next stage in Major League Soccer (MLS): recruitment of serious international talent. Since the start of MLS 11 years ago the primary focus of the league centered around creating a loyal fan base, attracting from other sports and developing more home grown talent, and of course keeping the league out of the red. While still far behind other sports in popularity, MLS was able to accomplish these three key initial goals. I converse with people who do follow the league and who attend games, I can definitely point to MLS’s popularity rising with the younger demographics (those older than me seem set in their ways and preferences), and MLS today stands 13 clubs strong from its original 10. With these issues in control MLS will start to earnestly compete for international talent.

Granted, this Beckham is not the Beckham of yesteryear. As players get older their skills inexorably deteriorate and at 31 this new 5 year contract will prove to be the last contract of his career. But what he will eventually lack in skills will be more than made up for by his name and the new interest he brings to the league from US fans, the US media, and international talent (older at first, then younger in 10-20 years) that will be eyeing that big pay day.

So, all in all this was a great move for all parties involved. MLS will cash in on finally landing a world football star, Beckham will undoubtedly receive more money than he could have hoped for from any other club at this stage in his career and he gets to live and play in the 2nd largest market in the US, and the US fans are poised to see more world talent follow Beckham’s steps and although MLS will never supplant leagues like the English, Spanish, or Italian ones, this step at least helps us from losing the image of being the NFL Europe league of American Football.

quote:

Originally posted by Nautilus I'm excited to see this move for two reasons. First, I'm glad I'll be able to see a football world icon play in my backyard. It's rare that such a face is seen on the pitch State side. The only times such players are found playing on US soil is either for whatever Cup qualifying match maybe taking place or whenever a foreign national team comes to play a friendly. And I don’t have to remind you how large the US is, so it’s rare that I find myself in Columbus, Ohio or Kansas City, Missouri or Phoenix, Arizona for such matches. Now, that Beckham has agreed to play for Los Angeles I can make the 25 minute drive to The Home Depot Center Stadium in Carson from my home to watch him play. Secondly, this move ushers in the next stage in Major League Soccer (MLS): recruitment of serious international talent. Since the start of MLS 11 years ago the primary focus of the league centered around creating a loyal fan base, attracting from other sports and developing more home grown talent, and of course keeping the league out of the red. While still far behind other sports in popularity, MLS was able to accomplish these three key initial goals. I converse with people who do follow the league and who attend games, I can definitely point to MLS’s popularity rising with the younger demographics (those older than me seem set in their ways and preferences), and MLS today stands 13 clubs strong from its original 10. With these issues in control MLS will start to earnestly compete for international talent. Granted, this Beckham is not the Beckham of yesteryear. As players get older their skills inexorably deteriorate and at 31 this new 5 year contract will prove to be the last contract of his career. But what he will eventually lack in skills will be more than made up for by his name and the new interest he brings to the league from US fans, the US media, and international talent (older at first, then younger in 10-20 years) that will be eyeing that big pay day. So, all in all this was a great move for all parties involved. MLS will cash in on finally landing a world football star, Beckham will undoubtedly receive more money than he could have hoped for from any other club at this stage in his career and he gets to live and play in the 2nd largest market in the US, and the US fans are poised to see more world talent follow Beckham’s steps and although MLS will never supplant leagues like the English, Spanish, or Italian ones, this step at least helps us from losing the image of being the NFL Europe league of American Football.

hey, all that's great. except - Beckham is not serious international talent and never really was. An overhyped pretty boy with a decent right foot. If it wasn't for the English lack of a decent right winger and all of them looking like they fell down the fugly tree and hit every branch Becks would have never been the "star" he is today.