When David Beckham agreed to leave Madrid for Major League Soccer five years ago and joined LA Galaxy most pundits wrote him off – but England’s most famous footballer revels in proving the critics wrong and the more he achieves the more popular he becomes.
It was fitting that Becks got his happy Hollywood ending with a heroic performance to secure the MLS Cup for the Galaxy in what looks like being his final game for the Americans.
Combining with Irish team-mate Robbie Keane, the 36-year-old set up Landon Donovan for the only goal in Sunday’s final against Houston Dynamo. For Beckham, playing through the pain barrier despite being clearly injured, this was his first silverware in America since his arrival in 2007.
And boy did he deserve his triumph, in front of over 31,000 fanatical MLS fans at their Home Deport stadium in Carson.
Linked with a move to wealthy Paris St-Germain, Becks said: ‘Whether I stay or not, I’ve had an amazing five years.” And summing up exactly what it meant to him he added: ‘People were talking about if we didn’t win it was going to be a disappointment and an unsuccessful five years. It’s quietened a few people which is always nice.’
Paris would definitely be the perfect sequel for the the showbiz footballer who has starred in Manchester, Madrid, Milan and Los Angeles – becoming only the second Englishman after Trevor Steven to become a champion in three different countries.
