David Beckham Gives Up On Greatness

It's easy to knock David Beckham. It's also easy to be nice about him. It's easy to go over the top about him whether supporting or attacking him.

I should know. I am fighting lots of impulses in writing this article in the hope that I can make it an objective, balanced piece.

It is not easy because Beckham is a player who has always roused deep feelings within football fans and I am no different.

When it comes to a moment like this it is also easy to forget the great things he has done, the great moments he has provided us all with and simply remember the less enjoyable, more recent, times.

Basically, however, I am bitterly disappointed with his decision to take the highest paid early retirement in the history of the world.

This had been coming ever since last years' World Cup. Real Madrid obviously didn't want him anymore and Beckham was faced with a huge decision. Did he accept the biggest challenge of his career by trying to prove himself all over again in England just as his powers were undoubtedly starting to wane or did he accept a less taxing, and vastly better paid, environment over the pond.

I suppose his choice was inevitable although to the last I was hoping he would take the other one.

Okay the money's incredible, absolutely obscene in fact, but he's already made enough to allow Victoria all the plastic surgery she could ever want and still have change left over to have his three children cloned several times over and then genetically altered into all his favourite farmyard animals.

He is that rich.

He has guaranteed himself wealth beyond anyones' wildest dreams by moving to America on a five year contract with LA Galaxy but he has denied himself something which money can't buy and which I would have hoped was more important than a few more noughts on his bank balance.

He now has no chance of being considered a genuine footballing great.

That is my opinion anyway. It is possible to say that his years with Manchester United and about a three year spell with England when he was absolutely fantastic make him deserving of this accolade, but I think that would be being excessively generous.

Perhaps I am being harsh. After all, I have always been one of his biggest supporters and might feel somewhat let down by the way he never really imposed himself on world football with his actual performances and deeds in the way he seemed destined to.

I think we all should feel a little let down and disappointed by him. Perhaps no-one should feel more disappointed than Beckham himself.