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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, 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.
Confirming the blockbuster announcement, Beckham said: ‘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.’
The trailblazing midfielder – who played for some of the biggest clubs in the world such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Los Angeles Galaxy – is now set to continue his ambassadorial duties with a variety of organisations, which include Sky Sports, adidas, Unicef and promoting football in China.
Having relocated from LA in January, Beckham is expected to set up a permanent base in London with his wife Victoria and children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.
His vast fortune of an estimated £165million comfortably makes him the richest athlete ever in British sport, with a host of lucrative sponsorship deals and salary payments over the last decade amassing his wealth.
Born in Leytonstone, Beckham started out with Ridgeway Rovers before being singled out by Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton at a Soccer School in Barcelona.
At 14, he signed schoolboy terms at Old Trafford and joined the likes of Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt in United’s famous youth class of 1992, going on to make his first-team debut against Brighton in the League Cup that same year. – Daily Mail.
DAVID BECKHAM FACTFILE
1975: Born Leytonstone, May 2.
1991: Joins Manchester United as trainee.
1992: Makes debut against Brighton in the League Cup on September 23. Wins FA Youth Cup.
1993: Signs professional contract at Old Trafford.
1995: Joins Preston on loan in February and scores two goals in five games.
1996: Helps United to Premier League and FA Cup double.
Scores goal of the season on opening day at Wimbledon, lobbing Neil Sullivan from the halfway line. Makes his England debut in the 3-0 win in Moldova.
1997: Collects another championship winners’ medal, voted PFA Young Player of the Year.
1998: Scores first England goal, a free-kick against Colombia in Lens on June 26. Sent off in second-round penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina.
1999: Helps United win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup after coming from behind to beat Bayern Munich with two late goals.
Runner-up in World Player of the Year awards, behind Rivaldo.
2000: May – Collects fourth championship winner’s medal as United win title by a record 18 points.
November – Named England captain for the November friendly with Italy in Turin by stand-in boss Peter Taylor.
2001: May – Collects another Premier League title with United.
October – Curls in a 25-yard last-minute free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford to earn England a 2-2 draw and send them into World Cup finals.
2002: May 11 – Signs new three-year contract reported to be worth between £90,000 and £100,000 a week.
June 7 – Scores from the penalty spot in the World Cup group stage match against Argentina to seal a 1-0 win.
England bow out in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual winners Brazil.
2003: February – Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson accidentally kicks a boot into Beckham’s face in frustration at United’s FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.
June 14 – Awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to football.
June 17 – United announce they have accepted a £25million bid from Real Madrid for Beckham, who agrees personal terms.
2004: June 24 – Misses a penalty as England lose to Portugal in a shoot-out in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals in Lisbon.
2005: November: Captains England for 50th time in friendly against Argentina in Geneva.
July 2 – Stands down as England captain.
August 11 – Dropped from squad for friendly against Greece, Steve McClaren’s first match as manager.
2007: January 11 – Beckham announces he will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy on a five-year contract in August.
January 13 – Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello says Beckham will never play for the club again.
May 26 – McClaren hands Beckham a shock England recall for matches against Brazil and Estonia.
June – Wins the La Liga title with Madrid, having won back his place in the team.
August 16 – Beckham scores his first goal for Galaxy on his full debut in the SuperLiga semi-final meeting with DC United with a trademark free-kick.
2008: March 26 – Wins 100th cap in the friendly against France.
October 30 – Milan announce Beckham will join them on loan on January 7, 2009.
2009: January 11 – Makes shock first start for Milan in 2-2 Serie A draw at Roma.
March 9 – AC Milan announce that under a unique ‘timeshare’ agreement, Beckham will stay with them in Italy until the end of the season, return to the Galaxy from July to October and then rejoin the Serie A club for the rest of the 2009-10 campaign.
March 28 – Comes on as a half-time substitute against Slovakia at Wembley to win his 109th cap and break Bobby Moore’s record for an outfield player.
July 20, 27 – Twice confronts fans who gave him a hostile reception in his first home games after returning to the Galaxy.
2010: March 14 – Tears his Achilles tendon in AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Chievo – an injury that rules him out of the World Cup.
June – Part of England’s backroom staff for World Cup campaign which ends in second-round defeat to Germany.
August 11 – England career appears to be at an end when Capello tells ITV: ‘Probably he is a little bit old.’
2011: November 20 – Wins the MLS Cup as the Galaxy beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 in the final.
December 31 – Five-year deal at the Galaxy expires.
2012: January 19 – Re-signs with the Galaxy.
June 28 – Announces he has not been included in Team GB’s squad for the Olympic Games.
November 16 – Football Federation Australia claim a representative of Beckham approaches them with a view to the midfielder making a short-term move to the A-League in the MLS off-season. A Beckham spokesman says his client has “absolutely no plans to play in Australia”.
November 20 – Confirms he is to leave the Galaxy after MLS Cup on December 1.
Online Reporter