David Beckham, or the man who can bend like no player else, at 37 years of age has joined highly motivated and heavy pocketed Paris St-Germain on a five-month deal.
Beckham’s stint with MLS side LA Galaxy ended in December saw him pick up a second consecutive MLS title. As the speculation over Beckham’s club status has grown; especially with the move to London with the rest of the Beckham family, Beckham has been training with his onetime archrivals Arsenal.
Deadline day is always exciting for football lovers around the world, as they wait to find which of their players is staying and which new player joins their favourite club and on top of that there is always last minute drama when it comes to deadline day deals. The case today has been no different, with English football’s talented bad boy Mario Balotelli joining AC Milan and the huge rush of excitement amongst English fans when news of Beckham travelling to Paris started to make round. The rumours were quickly confirmed in a PSG press conference when Beckham as their new number 32 was unveiled.
“We are very lucky to have him here,” club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “David is a very professional player and I’m sure he will add big value to the club. He will be an asset to the club. I’m very happy to be sitting next to David here.”
Beckham also received offers from a multitude of English clubs but made it clear there can only be one English club he has played for and will always remain the only English club he would ever want to play for. However, Beckham, who said he will donate his salary to a children's charity in Paris, said “We've decided on something that's quite unique. I won't receive any salary: We've decided my salary will go towards a local children's charity in Paris and that's one of the things we're very excited and proud to do. It's something I'm not sure has been done before but I'm passionate about children and the charity, so we came together and it's something special.”
Sharing his excitement Beckham said, “I'm 37 years old and was offered a lot of deals, more now than I've had in my career, and at my age I am honoured by that. I chose Paris because I can see what the club are trying to do; I can see the players the club are bringing in.”
“It's [Paris] an exciting city and always has been but now there's a club that will have a lot of success over the next ten, fifteen, or even twenty years. I'm not saying I'll be playing in ten, fifteen, or twenty years but to be part of something that's growing is very exciting to me. I'm very honoured to be part of this.”
Talking about returning to English Football, “I've been successful with Manchester United and have always said I would never want to play for another English club. I've got a lot of history with Manchester United, the team I support and dreamed of playing for. Unless it was Manchester United, I wouldn't want to play for any other Premier League team.”
He also revealed that his sons Brooklyn (thirteen years old), Romeo (ten), and Cruz (seven), will stay in London to go to school along with his wife Victoria, 38, and their one-year-old daughter Harper.
What does the future hold for Beckham? As the contract signed is only valued for five months, could we see a turnaround in events and see the return of Beckham to the Premier League? I’m sure every fan would be relishing the possibility to see such a great servant to English football back in the league in which he started, or maybe the allure of the Middle East may prove too appealing.
Either way, it is safe to say that PSG have not only got a great footballer, who is defying his age to remain as skilful as he was before but also a great marketing tool. Everybody loves brand Beckham; especially the kind who donates all of his wages to a children’s charity. PSG can look forward to a boost in shirt sales and profile now from the deal of the January Transfer Window by far.
What do think of Beckham's new enterprise? A fantastic endeavorur, or simply a marketing ploy? Comment below or find us on Twitter @labelonline or on Facebook via this link.
