BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE football world has lost another stalwart as the iconic David Beckham has announced his retirement from the game.
Following last week’s shock announcement by Sir Alex Ferguson of his own retirement as Manager of Manchester United after 26 years at the helm, Beckham’s announcement means the end of an era of football from two of the most celebrated faces of the game.
David Beckham is one of the most iconic football stars of his generation, and his retirement comes days after the 38-year-old won his latest title with French club Paris Saint-Germain.
The midfielder won 115 caps for England and is married to former Spice Girl and fashion designer Victoria Beckham, and is considered to be the country's wealthiest athlete, earning in excess of $46 million a year, according to France Football magazine.
Beckham's life in Paris
Beckham won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester United in 1999 and also league titles with Real Madrid, AC Milan and Los Angeles Galaxy.
"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," said Beckham in a statement.
"I'm fortunate to have realised those dreams," he added.
Beckham singled out captaining his country as one of his "proudest achievements".
"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 honoured to represent England both on and off the pitch. 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.'
Champions PSG's last two games are against Brest at the Parc des Princes in the French capital on Saturday (May 18) and at Lorient on the following day.
Also, Beckham’s mentor and English football's longest serving manager, Sir Alex Ferguson will retire immediately after the Premier League fixture against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on May 19, the 2,154th professional match ending a journey of touchline eminence of the global Premier League.
According to a report in the UK Guardian, the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson was always one of those things it's probably best to imagine never actually happening at all, but then a slight loss of scale is entirely par for the course when contemplating Ferguson's outsized footballing presence.
Ferguson's retirement, announced last Wednesday, arrived with the startling suddenness more usually associated with a major news event.
The announcement even forced Manchester United's share price down by 4.5 percent to less than $18 on the New York stock exchange initially, but by the close it had bounced back to $18.44 – a 1.76 percent fall overall.
Now at the end of his career, Ferguson will retire boasting 13 English league titles, three Scottish titles, 16 domestic cups and four major European trophies. He has both the Scottish First Division title and the FIFA Club World Cup.
