In The End, It All Comes Down To Money (and Fame)

One of the worst kept secrets in football is finally out, Real Madrid didn't really want David Beckham and so he's off to LaLaLand to sign for LA Galaxy. He'll leave Spain in the summer, probably trophy less after three years, and sign a contract believed to be worth £128m over five years.

I don't begrudge Beckham the silly money. It's not the player's fault that a team in a country, or rather a state, where football is so far down the sporting agenda that it almost comes under the heading 'any other business', wants to pay him that amount but I think going to the States is no better for him footballing wise than sitting out a two year extension as a bit part player in Madrid.

Beckham won everything at Manchester United but his ambition was to prove himself in a more technical (i.e skillful) league and so off he went to join Los Galacticos - by coincidence Real Madrid have not won anything since his arrival and worse than that they have seen the re-emergence of the Catalan King's Barcelona as well as the improving Sevilla and Valencia.

Going to the States instead of another European team says 'goodbye football, hello showbiz,' to me. He could have stayed in Europe and played out another two or three years at the highest level - the decision is nothing to do with football, it's about money and lifestyle - two things that are more important to him. He can bang on about wanting to make the game more popular and opening more soccer schools but he is a player still at his prime, he could walk into 16 or 17 of the Premierships 20 clubs tomorrow and make an impact on the pitch.

I wish him all the success he craves for, I just think it's a sad day for English (and European) football.