The LA Galaxy announced today that the club re-signed the English midfielder to a two-year contract, putting a smile on the face of soccer fans, and young ladies, all across North America.
"This was an important decision for me,” Beckham said. “I had many offers from clubs from around the world. However, I'm still passionate about playing in America and winning trophies with the Galaxy.”
Beckham detractors point out that the former England captain is in the twilight of his career and that all he’ll bring to the league, and to Montreal on May 5 at Olympic Stadium, is media hoopla and screaming teenage girls.
But, there is no denying the impact Beckham has had on Major League Soccer (MLS) and the game across North America. Since joining the Galaxy in 2007 as the first Designated Player in league history (often referred to as the Beckham rule), the league has experienced exponential growth, moving from 12 teams in 2006 to 19 teams this season. In that time, the expansion fee for clubs has quadrupled from $10 million to $40 million, with $170 million being raised in expansion fees since the start of the 2007 MLS season. In that same time, nine new soccer-specific stadiums have been built in Major League Soccer, giving the League a total of 15 in 2012, while average attendance rose to 17,872 last season, making MLS the 10th best attended league in the world.
"I've seen firsthand how popular soccer is now in the States and I'm as committed as ever to growing the game here," added the former star of soccer giants Manchester United and Real Madrid. "My family and I are incredibly happy and settled in America and we look forward to spending many more years here."
In five years with the Galaxy, Beckham was twice named to the MLS All-Star Team and finished the 2011 season with a career-best 15 assists, earning him a spot on the MLS Best XI. Beckham’s individual success helped translate to team success last season culminating with a 1-0 win over Houston at The Home Depot Center in MLS Cup 2011 and a trip to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League in March.
Over his career, he’s won five EPL league titles, two FA Cups, onE UEFA Champions League championship, one La Liga title and one Spanish Supercup.
