Nicko 0 Posted May 16, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22558393 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reykjavik Canary 0 Posted May 16, 2013 who cares.he''s been out of the footballing world since he left for the States. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crabbycanary 2 Posted May 16, 2013 I (depressingly) suspect that the media are already getting their ''Give him a knighthood'' headlines ready Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicko 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Decent chap, excellent footballer. He''ll be missed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crabbycanary 2 Posted May 16, 2013 quote user="Nicko"]Decent chap, excellent footballer. He''ll be missed.[/quote Nicko - I would have said more along the lines of ''Excellent chap, decent footballer''The Brand will live on, and on Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Ghost of Percy Varco 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Queue ''Beckham envy''..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indy_Bones 441 Posted May 16, 2013 He''s come a very long way from the young guy that broke into the team at Man Utd.Conducts himself with great professionalism, has represented England fantastically and has also done a lot outside of this both for the game and in charity work.Huge amount of respect from me, and with Scholes retiring at the same time, we''ve seen the end of the careers of two of the best English players in the last 50 years, and good luck to them both. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howson is now! 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Moyes with a coaching staff including Beckham, Giggs, and Neville perhaps? [;)] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joanna Grey 0 Posted May 16, 2013 That will be all over SSN for a while. Could he not have delayed it until the last day of the transfer window, just to hog the limelight again? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chicken 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Was a very passionate player whose freekicks and good play kept us in more tournaments than we may have deserved.A great ambassador for the sport. Shame he has retired, I thought he had re-invented himself well as a deep lying playmaker.Still, he has signed off on a good note. He''ll be missed, if we could ever have anyone anywhere near as good a deliverer of a ball as him again we would be blessed.No one has crossed a ball, hit a long pass or struck a free kick quite as well as him in my living memory - at least not with that consistency at that high a level of football. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Row D Seat 7 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Never saw him play live, but met him in a restaurant once and he was a complete gent.I''m sure he will be mega star successful in whatever he does next. Great player and bloke. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KeiranShikari_2 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Fantastic pro and all round nice guy. Would buy his pants. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Warren Hill 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Never had the outrageous talent of a Ronaldinho, Ronaldo (either, or), Zidane, Messi etc but still fantastic ability. A credit to every club he played for and wore the England shirt with pride. Fergie retiring, Scholes and Beckham hanging up their boots, three icons of the English game in the last 20 years, it really is a changing of the guard. Scholes was the better player though.....the fixation with Gerrard/Lampard cost England their best midfielder when he had so much left to give, that was a shame. A shame for Scholes and for England fans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chicken 0 Posted May 16, 2013 I''d disagree with that Warren.Ronaldinho is a fantastically great technical player, but I feel he is/was quite heavily overrated. He was very skillful but never quite hit the heights of his predecessor Rivaldo, in my books. Especially when you consider he is 33 and has not been great for a good three to four seasons now.Beckham is a different type of player. He didn''t rely upon a huge catalogue of tricks. His eye for a ball, no matter the distance, was second to none. His ability to put the ball almost precisely where he wanted it was incredible.Ronaldo (Portugese) actually learned a lot from Beckham. He couldn''t cross for fudge when he first arrived at Man Utd.Above all else Beckham was a team player, in many ways far more vital to many of the England line ups over the years than some of the other players have been for their respective countries. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Warren Hill 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Not really sure what you are disagreeing with Chicken!! As I said Beckham had/has fantastic ability. But the players I mentioned had outrageous (as I said) talent. Ronaldinho, while in decline now, was unbelievable for the time he was at his peak and did things with a football that most simply couldn''t. I''d rate him as a superior player to Rivaldo every time, maybe not in terms of longevity, but in terms of his ability when he was at the top of his game. Everything you say about Beckham I agree with. Ronaldo learning from him? I don''t doubt that, however, Ronaldo''s skill, pace, dribbling, heading, strength mark him out as a very special footballer and a better one than David Beckham. If Becks has played any part in making him the player he is now, then he should be a proud man. Beckham was a team player and was vital to England but more important than Ronaldo/Ronaldinho were to Brazil in 2002 or Zidane was to France in 1998? More integral than Messi is to Argentina or CR7 is to Portugal? Not so sure about that but I certainly was happier with him in our side than out of it for a very long time so perhaps that is comparable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GJP 79 Posted May 16, 2013 [quote user="chicken"]I''d disagree with that Warren. Ronaldinho is a fantastically great technical player, but I feel he is/was quite heavily overrated. He was very skillful but never quite hit the heights of his predecessor Rivaldo, in my books.[/quote]Ronaldinho overrated? Not at all. Unbelievably good at his peak. One of the most naturally and brilliantly talented players you''ll ever see. Rivaldo was a bit good too, though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yellowbeagle 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Good player and great career, what I''m really shocked by though is that Joey Barton has just announced his retirement from international football, now this player really will leave a gaping hole in English football. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phillip J Fry 0 Posted May 16, 2013 I''ve always like Beckham. He was never the most-naturally talented performer and physically he was nothing special, but the amount of effort he put into his passing, crossing and free-kicks was immense. He was a completely different type of wide-midfielder to what the English were used to, he wasn''t fast so he dropped deep or moved inside, this offered him more space to play a pass or deliver one of his delicious deep-lying crosses. He was a hard worker and his on-the-field understanding with G. Neville was incredible to behold, they way they could exploit that right-wing... I don''t think many footballers at the time had ever come across such a unique partnershipBeckham had his faults, particularly early on, with his temper and obsession with ''fame'', but he was the last England player who gave me the impression that there was no higher honor than representing his country, which will always gain him respect in my eyes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Murphy and the Bricks 0 Posted May 17, 2013 You have to admire Beckham both on & off the field. I think the fact that he never played for another premier league club is testament to his love & respect for Man Utd. You cannot tell me that clubs like Chelsea, Man City & Arsenal wouldnt have broken transfer records to get him. He swore when he left Man Utd that he wouldnt & he stuck to his word.....you cannot buy loyalty like that. He was the greatest player in terms of English football of his generation & I doubt we will see an Englishman with his drive, ambition & passion for a long time!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites