Beckham quits Galaxy for 'one last challenge'

Updated November 21, 2012 19:45:36

The Melbourne Heart is ready to lure David Beckham to the A-League with a six-figure offer after the football superstar said the MLS title decider will be his last game with LA Galaxy.

Beckham, 37, has spent the past six seasons with the Galaxy, leading them to an MLS Cup title last season.

The announcement comes amid heated speculation that the former England captain could join an A-League club in a guest player capacity this season.

Beckham and the Galaxy go for their second consecutive crown when they face the Dynamo in a repeat of last year's final on December 1 at the Home Depot Center.

Beckham said the game will be his last for the team as he hopes to move on and become a part-owner of an MLS team in the future.

"I've had an incredibly special time playing for the LA Galaxy. However, I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career," Beckham said in a statement released by the team.

"I don't see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future."

The Melbourne Heart are already preparing to make a lucrative offer to lure Beckham to Victoria, confirming it and its sponsors will make a six-figure offer for a 10-game guest appearance in the new year.

Heart CEO Scott Munn says the club will be competing with offers from all over the world.

"I can only assume that there'll be a lot of clubs from around the world making offers," he said.

"The great thing that we have playing in our advantage is the timing, that is our season is up and running now.

"He's incredibly fit - he's still playing so he can hit the ground running in that January window and play right through to the end of the season."

Western Sydney Wanderers and the Central Coast Mariners are also reportedly keen on signing Beckham.

Last week, the A-League said it was still hopeful of negotiating a deal to bring Beckham to the A-League.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) confirmed on Friday it had received an approach from the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star's agent, expressing an interest in playing in the A-League this season.

Beckham's representatives then contradicted the FFA, saying there were 'absolutely no plans [for Beckham] to play in Australia."

The former England captain then told US journalists early Saturday morning that any deal being struck was news to him.

But A-League CEO Damien de Bohun confirmed an approach had been made and said negotiations are still in their early stages.

"The reality is there's so much complexity to the nature of international transfers," de Bohun told Grandstand.

"From our perspective, it's definitely something that we've had some discussions about and it's very much in the early stages.

"I certainly wouldn't say it's dead in the water by any stretch of the imagination."

Beckham's latest statement seems to confirm suspicions he was keeping mum over negotiations while the Galaxy prepared for its play-off date with Seattle, which it won 4-2 on aggregate.

ABC/AFP

Tags: soccer, a-league, sport, united-states

First posted November 20, 2012 12:51:53

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Beckham to re-join Galaxy on two-year deal

Updated January 19, 2012 11:22:08

Former England captain David Beckham will be returning to the LA Galaxy on a fresh two-year contract, the Major League Soccer (MLS) team said on Thursday morning.

"This was an important decision for me," Beckham said in a statement.

"I had many offers from clubs from around the world, however, I'm still passionate about playing in America and winning trophies with the Galaxy.

"I've seen first-hand how popular soccer is now in the States and I'm as committed as ever to growing the game here.

"My family and I are incredibly happy and settled in America and we look forward to spending many more years here."

Beckham's five-year deal with the Galaxy concluded last year and there had been widespread speculation the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder was considering offers from Paris St Germain and a number of English clubs.

Earlier this month, Paris St Germain said Beckham would not be joining the big-spending Ligue 1 soccer club due to family reasons.

Reuters

Tags: soccer, sport, united-states

First posted January 19, 2012 08:27:27

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Beckham's Galaxy edges Victory in shoot-out

Updated December 06, 2011 22:14:14

David Beckham's LA Galaxy won its friendly fixture against the Melbourne Victory in a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw at Docklands, to finish their end-of-season tour with a win.

Los Angeles came from two goals down after the hosts started the brighter of the two sides, with Melbourne carving out a host of chances early in the first half.

The Victory capitalised on their dominance with first-half goals to Carlos Hernandez and Isaka Cernak, before a handball by Ronnie Vargas allowed Robbie Keane to stroke home a penalty to put the Galaxy in with a shout.

Keane beat the 'keeper from the spot five minutes into the second half to equalise after Beckham was adjudged to be fouled inside the box.

Beckham, despite his failure to score, was subbed off late on to rapturous applause from the crowd in possibly his last game in a Galaxy shirt.

The former England captain floats across football, fashion and fame with the airiness of one of his famous right-foot crosses, and had his every move cheered until he was substituted three minutes from the end

For the football aficionados, the 36-year-old turned back the clock. His audacious lob from inside his own half on 13 minutes which just missed was reminiscent of the 1996 goal for Manchester United against Wimbledon from similar range which launched him to stardom.

He also won one of two penalties for his side in normal time - bodychecked by Victory defender Petar Franjic to earn the spot-kick for Keane and surely YouTube infamy for the Melbourne centre-back.

In the shoot-out, United States star Landon Donovan missed Los Angeles's first penalty.

But the Victory fluffed their lines in the full-time lottery, as Paolo Retre and Marco Rojas missed their chance from the spot, allowing the Galaxy to seal the shoot-out 4-3.

Earlier, notoriously injury-prone Socceroos star Harry Kewell was omitted from the Victory's line-up despite confirming he was fit for the Docklands clash, but was rested for his side's crucial A-League game against Adelaide United this weekend.

Kewell was diplomatic about his omission, though he confirmed Victory coach Mehmet Durakovic had pulled the rug on him squaring up against old English Premier League rival Beckham.

"We have an important game on the weekend, and the manager's told me I can't play," Kewell said.

"I'm 100 per cent fit, I trained today, and I wanted to be out there.".

LA Galaxy: 2 (R Keane pen 43', pen 50') - Los Angeles won 4-3 on penalties.

Melbourne Victory: 2 (C Hernandez 15', Cernak 37')

ABC/AAP

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia, united-states

First posted December 06, 2011 21:41:59

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