David Beckham Retires A Winner

David Beckham‘s right foot will no longer play a part in professional football. Not David Beckham, his right foot, that magic foot. Because he still has so much to give.

One can argue about his footballing ability but it is certain that David Beckham, in his prime, was the most famous footballer or even sportsperson in the world. And when he is retiring, he probably still is. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are far better footballers deserving a place in the pantheon of greats but Beckham with his limited ability on the field can give them both a run in the fame stakes.

It is hard to put into perspective Beckham’s football career without talking about the impact he had off the pitch. Sure, he was part of the ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ who started off young at Manchester United and then as a part of Ai??possibly the finest midfield in the world at that time went on to do the Treble under the most dramatic circumstances.

Even when he started he was never special like Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs but his work ethic was unparalleled. He put in hours in training and polished his ability to work the ball with his right foot. As many critics would put it, he was a one-trick pony, a man with only his right foot as his saving grace from mediocrity but it was a devastating right foot.

From the moment he made his mark in English football courtesy of his memorable chip against Wimbledon, he has always been in the spotlight. Even before his marriage to Victoria Adams, controversies courted him. His red card against Argentina in the World Cup 1998 was the lowest point of his career with England bowing out on penalties. He was castigated beyond imagination as the entire nation united in laying the blame on him. He was hurt but he bore it with dignity and rose amid all the humiliation to take part in the historic and dramatic treble of Manchester United.

But once the dream marriage materialised, cracks began to appear between the manager, Sir Alex Ferguson and David Beckham. He also became the England captain in 2000 lending further credibility to his brand and celebrity status. His hair styles were now important news and his appearances in public were huge events. Everywhere he went, he was followed. But it has to be admitted that, in all that brouhaha, Beckham maintained sanity. He never allowed all that status to affect his game on the pitch and remained professional as ever.

He had now surpassed the Manchester United brand and became a huge brand himself. After the infamous dressing room row, and his relegation to the bench on the eve of the biggest game of the season in 2003, against Real Madrid, in which he came off the bench to score two goals, one a spectacular free-kick to give victory to Manchester United, the writing was too clear on the wall. And then Real Madrid came calling.

If you thought he was bought for footballing reasons, you could not be more wrong. They had Figo playing on the right and there was no way Beckham could have usurped Figo in the starting XI. The reasons were purely commercial as Real Madrid pushed their brand by jumping onto the Beckham band wagon. The T-shirt sales soared, the pre-season tour to Asia was a success beyond compare. He changed the footballing landscape with one single transfer. Real Madrid with all its Galacticos couldn’t match up to the Beckham-mania sweeping the world. But there was one problem. Many thought that the Englishman had no chance of succeeding at the most demanding of the world.

David Beckham had proved himself off the pitch with his transfer. Now he had to prove himself on it. Sure, Real Madrid went three years without a trophy but it was not Beckham’s fault. The entire philosophy of the club was preposterous and all the superstars in the team could not achieve anything.

Even under Fabio Capello, he was shunted aside and when he signed for Los Angeles Galaxy, the Italian coach declared that David Beckham had played his last game for Real Madrid. In a normal, practical world, it should be the demise of the player. But David Beckham was more than normal. He suffered it all in silence, with a dignity that would define his career. He trained harder, aiming to make it to the first team and within a month he was back. “It is a wise man who recognises and amends his mistakes. David Beckham will return to the Real Madrid starting line up immediately”, said Fabio Capello on his recall. And he did work harder on the pitch as Madrid improved and won the league on the last day. David Beckham finally left Real Madrid with a trophy and deservedly so. He won over Real Madrid and its most demanding set of fans with his appetite for the game and the will to give his everything for the shirt. He still remains to his day, one of the most popular Galacticos of his era at the Spanish capital.

It is hard to find logic in his transfer to LA Galaxy considering he still had atleast couple of years to play in a competitive European league. Or probably, he timed his departure to reflect that he was not doing it for the money like many other footballers do in their twilight years.

At Galaxy, he caught the fancy of the entire nation. Before LA Galaxy, he was a famous footballer and a celebrity but in America, he became as celebrated as its Hollywood stars. Tom Cruise and Will Smith were his buddies and his brand stormed into unchartered territories. He did win two MLS cups at Galaxy but those really cannot be compared to the league triumphs in England and Spain. He also had loan spells at AC Milan and finally at PSG ending his career as the only Englishman to win the league in four different countries.

And then, there was his England career. He amassed 115 caps, more than any outfield player in English history and was captain of the generation of footballers, who individually were some of the finest footballers but collectively, simply failures. But, the best and worst moments for David Beckham, the footballer, arrived in an England shirt. His red card against Argentina was undoubtedly his nadir and he made up for it by slotting a penalty against the same opponent in the 2002 World Cup. And then there was his penalty miss against Portugal at EURO 2004. But his finest moment came against Greece in the WC qualifiers when in stoppage time, David Beckham stepped up and sent an unstoppable free-kick into the corner of the net ‘raising the roof’ in the process. He became an instant hero and his heroics went as far as fetching him the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and he also ended up being runner-up to Figo for the FIFA World Player of the Year.

David Beckham cannot be counted as one the greatest players in the world but he certainly was part one of the best ever midfield units in the world alongside Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane. His ability to change the game with his swirling free-kicks and dippingAi??crosses is now the stuff of legends and also has been paid tribute to in the sleeper hit movie, Bend It Like Beckham.

He had a fantastic right foot, probably the finest of his generation. It appeared as if he could cross the ball at his whims and fancies. Yes, he had no pace and hardly dribbled but he never strolled aimlessly on the pitch. He pressed harder, protecting his teammates but with an aura of elegance about him. As he rightly pointed out in his interview to Gary Neville, he gave everything on the pitch and the training ground earning plaudits from everyone. When he made the move to PSG, Zinedine Zidane was quick to point out that Beckham’s professionalism would win over Paris.

In many ways, David Beckham was never the quintessential footballer but he was the perfect brand ambassador for the sport all over the world. When the media boom happened in the late 90’s and English football was looking to expand their reach, David Beckham appeared as a saviour. His dashing good looks, endorsements with Pepsi, Adidas and other multinationals helped push English football and the Premier League to unchartered avenues. He was the ultimate poster boy one could have ever asked for. Playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world, in a scarlet jersey, with an affable smile, polite voice, looks to die for, a popstar wife beside him and the ability to influence the game with a simple swoosh of his boot,Ai?? he was every boy’s dream.

David Beckham had long outgrown his footballing persona. Even when he left Manchester United, it was hard to separate Beckham, the cult, from Beckham, the footballer. There are many who dismiss him as over-rated but it would be harsh to judge him on his fame and relate it to his football ability. It is not easy to be playing alongside Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes every weekend for half a decade and still be remembered for his football. Every United fan loved him and would testify to his performances in the late 90’s and early noughties and would place him among his favorite players at Old Trafford of that era.

The best thing about him was his transformation from a gifted footballer to a global icon. Zinedine Zidane was miles ahead of him in talent but he did not have the gift to charm people off the pitch. David Beckham was more than charming. He never let fame affect his performances and with all the insanity surrounding him, it is simply a stupendous achievement that he has handled everything with a zest that is simply irresistible.

Now that he is retired, he will have more time to use his personality to enhance the game by being a brand ambassador or buying an MLS franchise as has been reported. It is probably the right time for his right foot to rest but not for his personality.

As he walks into the sunset, he leaves as a person always smiling, always reciprocating the fans’ adulation and handling all the criticism and praise with aplomb. He has been to some of the biggest clubs in the world and nobody has had a bad word to say about him. Even if they were skeptical initially, he won them over with his determination, professionalism and his smile, like he has done all over the world.

David Beckham has won multiple trophies but will probably never be remembered in history for them. Instead he will be remembered for transcending boundaries, bringing the game to millions and making them fall in love with it. While achievements in one’s profession matter to everyone, it is leaving with utmost dignity and earning respect as one of the nicest guys around that actually matters and considering how the world of football has reacted to his retirement, David Beckham is a winner.

On a personal note, without David Beckham, a boy of 12, living in a city with no football culture and in a school with no football to kick, would never have watched the beautiful game. He was just flipping channels on television when a person with long hair and a red shirt,Ai?? crossing the ball with unerring accuracy caught his attention and led him to a world of scrap books, wallposters, memorabilia, heartbreaks, tears of joy and memories of a lifetime. And ultimately as an editor and contributor for this online magazine. I will miss you, David!Ai??

David Beckham Retires A Winner

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