Months of endless speculation regarding what shirt the former England captain would don can finally be put to rest after David Beckham finalized a new two-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy just hours ago. But does this signify the end of his successful career?
Would he stay or would he go? This was the question that many fans were asking themselves once Beckham marked the end of his five-year contract with the LA Galaxy in emphatic fashion by sealing their first MLS Cup triumph; defeating Houston Dynamo 1 – 0 back in November.
Prior to this, it was well documented that Beckham’s contract was due to expire in December and with a burning desire to play in the London 2012 Olympics – and even beyond that – in the summer, many cited several European clubs as Beckham’s penultimate destination before retiring.
The most notable clubs allegedly vying for the veteran’s signature were: Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers. PSG were at the forefront due to their depthless bank account (courtesy of their Qatari ownership) so Beckham’s hefty wages were not going to be an issue for the cash-laden Paris club. It’s also worth mentioning that Beckham’s signature passing game would be warmly welcomed in Paris too. Not to mention the fact that Victoria could shop till she dropped. Did we also note that his friend, Leonardo (whom he played for during a second loan spell at Milan) is also the Sporting Director at PSG?
Tottenham’s interest was expected for a number of reasons. Firstly, Beckham was hotly tipped to join the London based club before Manchester United came knocking on his door. Also, Beckham impressed Harry Redknapp very much so last year, when he trained with Spurs in the MLS off-season. Oh, and playing for an English club in the build up to the 2012 Olympics wouldn’t cause much harm to Beckham’s hopes in appearing for Team GB either. If only Capello would reward him with a place in England’s Euro 2012 squad…
As far as QPR’s interest is concerned, they were just looking to prolong their behavior of a child in a sweet store when it came to transfer time. Realistically, Becks was never going to make a trip down to Loftus Road anytime soon and any hope they had of acquiring his services was nothing more than wishful thinking on their behalf.
We can now confirm that none of those potential suitors snapped up his magical right foot as the LA Galaxy confirmed that Beckham put pen to paper on a new 2-year contract with them just hours ago. No one had ruled out the possibility of Becks remaining in the Hollywood sun as the Beckham’s have settled well in their house on the hills and would David really spoil that by taking the backseat in London or Paris? Nope.
However, that is not the sole reason for Beckham’s decision to remain in LA as his statement on the club’s website reads as follows:
“This was an important decision for me,”
“I had many offers from clubs from around the world, however, I’m still passionate about playing in America and winning trophies with the Galaxy.
“I’ve seen first hand how popular soccer is now in the States and I’m as committed as ever to growing the game here.
“My family and I are incredibly happy and settled in America and we look forward to spending many more years here.”
Bruce Arena who manages the Galaxy had this to say in response to Beckham’s new deal:
“I am thrilled that David has chosen to re-join the Galaxy, especially as he had numerous options where he could continue his career.
“I felt that he was one of the best players in all of MLS last season and we could not have achieved the success that we did without him.
“We look forward to trying to replicate that success this season with David once again in a Galaxy uniform.”
So it seems like both respective parties are overjoyed with the contract in addition to Beckham’s efforts in guiding the Galaxy to success and garnering greater interest in soccer (I find it difficult to say that!) within the USA. I wonder how many people envisioned Beckham playing the his final games in the MLS? We for one did not. This contract really sheds light on the fact that players such as Beckham are nearing the end of their playing days and in all honesty, it is sorrowing to picture the world of football in a mere matter of years with notable absentees such as Beckham, Del Piero, Henry, Giggs, Scholes and Ronaldo.
David Beckham penning a deal that will expire in 2014 ultimately marks the end of his playing career as he looks to add a final and memorable chapter to his story. Will he replicate the success he achieved last year over the course of these following two years? Only time will tell. What do you think of Beckham’s new deal?
