Beckham suddenly announced his retirement following Sir Alex

Just two weeks after Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement, it was his turn as his former favorite student at Manchester United, David Beckham, to announce his retirement at the end of this season, meaning that Becks's ups and downs in his football career will only be counted in days.

"I thank PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue playing, but I feel it is time to end my career," Becks told the BBC.

“If you had told me as a young boy that I would play and win trophies with my childhood favourite Manchester United, captain and represent my country over 100 times, play for some of the best teams in the world, I would have told you it was just a dream.”

“But I was lucky enough to make it come true.”

Beckham at his PSG debut earlier this year (Source: AFP)

“Nothing can replace the feeling of playing football, but I feel ready for the next adventure and excited about what lies ahead. I have been fortunate to have been given many opportunities in my career and now I feel it is time to give back.”

A family man, a fashion icon, a friend of A-list celebrities and politicians, an idol to men, women and gays - the 38-year-old midfielder is known for his off-field activities as much as his trademark Beckham crosses and free-kicks.

Born on 2 May 1975 in Leytonstone, East London, a blond kid from humble origins, Becks now ends his career as one of the most exploited icons in sporting history and has a wife, former pop star and now fashion designer Victoria Adams.

As a youngster, he turned down a move to local side Tottenham Hotspur and instead joined Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, playing alongside Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil-Gary Neville and Nicky Butt.

He scored on his debut at the age of 17 and in the opening match of the 1996-97 season, Beckham scored a memorable goal against Wimbledon, scoring from halfway.

During his eight years at Old Trafford, he made a total of 398 appearances and won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and most importantly the 1999 Champions League - making Becks one of the most famous and richest sports figures in the UK.

But his career in his homeland also had an unforgettable stain when he was cursed by the whole of England after being sent off in the England-Argentina match at the 1998 World Cup.

The retaliation against Diego Simeone earned Beckham a straight red card and it wasn't until 2001, with a brilliant last-minute free kick against Greece, that Beckham was again considered a hero. The kick sent England into the 2002 World Cup, where he scored a penalty against Argentina to make up for the sadness of 4 years earlier.

Beckham was also the inspiration for the British blockbuster film “Bend It Like Beckham” about a Punjabi girl living in West London who wanted to play football like Beckham against her parents’ wishes. In 2007, he caused a shock when he moved from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy for 25 million euros.

In the US, Becks' fame helped the Major League Soccer championship receive much attention and the Galaxy were crowned champions of this tournament twice in 2011 and 2012.

During his time in the US, Beckham went to AC Milan on loan twice before suffering an Achilles injury that prevented him from participating in the 2010 World Cup, causing his number of appearances for the national team to stop at 115 - a national record for a player who is not a goalkeeper.

According to statistics from the Sunday Times, as of April 2012, Beckham's assets were worth around 190 million pounds (300 million USD). At an age when many players have retired, he was still sought after by many clubs before moving to PSG.

Beckham was unable to make the Great Britain team at last year's Olympics but he still played a key role in the Games and was the man who lit the Olympic torch on the opening night in front of millions of people around the world.

In January this year, Beckham signed a contract lasting just 5 months with the team at the Parc des Princes and made a modest contribution to the Ligue 1 championship. Beckham's entire salary will be transferred to a charity fund and this is a happy ending to the career of one of the most famous players in the history of world football.

With the Ligue 1 title last weekend, Beckham has a total of 19 titles in his career – 10 of which are national championships – in a total of 20 years of playing. He is also the only English player to have won championships in four different countries./.

According to (Vietnam+) - DT