'Handsome legend' heralds retirement

David Beckham is hanging up his boots. The English player announced his retirement in a short statement, in which he assured that the time has come for him to make his exit from the footballing stage. "I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level."

At the age of 38, London's elegance and glamour loses one of its greatest exponents – countless perfectly placed passes, magical free kicks and breakneck changes in direction, all with that individual flair of the English player. He leaves a highly successful career behind him, in which he was constantly in the spotlight during his adventures on both sides of the pond.

We are witnessing the retirement of the first big brand-name player, but we are also bidding farewell to a great footballer who played at the top level for 21 seasons. With 21 titles to his name from over 700 official games, Sir David averages a title per year. Manchester United, Real Madrid, Milan, Los Angeles Galaxy and PSG have all enjoyed the quality of the prototypical English gentleman. His golden age came under Ferguson. The number 23 became an Old Trafford legend, and his perfectly executed free kicks put him in the global spotlight.

During the course of nine seasons, he won six Premier League titles and the famous Champions League at the Camp Nou (with a comeback against Bayern), amongst other titles. Next he became one of Florentino Pérez's superstars. He arrived in Madrid with the mark of a star and the hope was that his combination with Zidane and Ronaldo would form the basis of a legendary Madrid. It was not to be, and after four years with just one Liga and a Spanish Super Cup to his name, he packed his bags for Los Angeles.


/Marca.Com/