Beckham heads for LA in $1 million a week deal
(Reuters)Updated: 2007-01-12 08:44
MADRID, Jan 11 - David Beckham will leave Real Madrid at the end of the Spanish season and sign a five-year deal for U.S. side Los Angeles Galaxy worth $1 million a week, the biggest in world sport.
 England's soccer captain David Beckham (L) and his wife Victoria leave a dinner reception at the British High Commissioner's residence in Singapore in this July 4, 2005 file photo. [Reuters] |
The 31-year-old former England captain, married to former Spice Girl pop star Victoria "Posh Spice" Adams, will earn a total $250 million over the five years financed heavily by endorsements and including bonuses based on performance and the future success of the MLS.
"I would like to thank supporters and the people of Madrid who have made my family and I so welcome in my time here making this an extremely difficult decision to make," Beckham added.
"I have enjoyed my time here enormously and I am extremely grateful to the club for giving me an opportunity to play for such a great team and their amazing fans."
Beckham, who joined the Spanish giants from Manchester United in June 2003, is still one of the most recognisable and marketable sports figures in the world despite being dropped by England following last year's World Cup quarter-final exit and has spent much of the Spanish season on the bench.
He is certainly the biggest name to move to the U.S. since soccer greats Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff played in the now-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 1970s and early 80s gives a major shot in the arm to the Major League Soccer (MLS), formed 10 years ago.
ANOTHER CHALLENGE
In a televised interview issued by LA Galaxy, Beckham added: "Another challenge has come up and it is the right time for us to do it. "I didn't want to go out there at 34 years old and for people to turn around and say he's only going there to get the money. It's not what I'm going out there to do.
"I'm going to hopefully build a club and a team that has a lot of potential. I think that is what excites me. "Regrets? No. I have never had any regrets throughout my life and career and I never want to.
"To play with the players I have played with, to play with (Zinedine) Zidane
was the biggest honour I have had in my career, to play with the likes of
Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos you know, for me, there is no regrets there."
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