The Celebrity on the Pitch

(Beckham's glory days with Man U-Picture from the Telegraph)

He is a sex symbol, a fashionister, an international icon, but first and foremost he is an athlete. David Beckham announced his retirement today, making this the last season in one of the most distinguished careers in futbol history. He is similar to Jordan, Gretzky, and Mantle in that he became a global superstar who transcended his sport.

Say what you want about the guy, but he could definitely ball. With the circus that surrounds Beckham, you tend to forget that he was a fucking beast futbol star. His dashing good looks led him to be posterized on the walls of countless women - and maybe men - and he's known as a successful model who is one of the most endorsed athletes in history. He is estimated to be England’s wealthiest sportsman and there is even a movie whose title revolves around his mutant-like ability to bend the ball. On their free time, Beckham and his Spice Girl wife Victoria Beckham hang out with A-list celebs such as Tom Cruise and the Smiths (Will and Jada) and attend entertainment awards ceremonies and exclusive A-list parties, which overshadows the fact that the fucking guy was a good enough football player to have a 20 year career in the most competitive leagues in the world.

(Becks and Cruise are boys-pic from National Turk)

 
Beckham made his Premier League debut at the age of 18 and went on to win several championships throughout his career. He won the Champions League with Man U and won league titles with Man U, Real Madrid, AC Milan, LA Galaxy, and Paris St. Germain. For those who are not privy to international futbol leagues and teams,  these clubs are in 5 different countries. He holds the England record for most appearances as an outfield player for the national team—115 --and was named the captain of England in 2000 where he held the position for several years. He was twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches. Twice he was a specific league’s highest-paid footballer between salary and endorsements. He was a great player, but what I want to point out is that this ambitious player pushed himself to overachieve way beyond his natural abilities.

He wasn’t the strongest or fastest, he didn’t have the best footwork nor was he the greatest finisher, but in spite of that he played the game at its highest level and had one of the most accurate feet in the game’s history. His crosses were pristine, sending the ball 40 yards accurately. Beckham was also an intelligent player who knew where to be and managed to always find the ball. What separated him from those who were overall better players and athletes was that he had the most dangerous free kick in soccer history as he could bend the ball with enough power to elude both the wall and the keeper. In a low scoring sport, one goal often means the difference between a win and a loss, which made him a necessity on any roster.  It’s like having a field goal kicker in the NFL who can hit the ball consistently from 65 yards away. He had a lot of haters, but he never seemed to really bother him.

Congratulations David on a fucking epic career. Enjoy riding into the sunset knowing you created an empire that few only dream of

Manchester United:
Champions League: 1998–99
Premier League (6): 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03
FA Cup (2): 1995–96, 1998–99
Intercontinental Cup: 1999
Community Shield (4): 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997

Real Madrid
La Liga: 2006–07
Spanish Supercopa: 2003

Los Angeles Galaxy:
MLS Cup (2): 2011, 2012
MLS Supporters' Shield (2): 2010, 2011
MLS Western Conference -
Winners (Regular Season) (3): 2009, 2010, 2011
Winners (Playoffs) (3): 2009, 2011, 2012

Paris Saint-Germain:
Ligue 1: 2012–13

-Kyle