David Beckham has split opinion throughout his lengthy career and despite his diminishing powers on the pitch he is still inspiring column inches and debate off it.
The latest man to stick his oar in on the topic of a widely mooted switch to Paris St-Germain for the ex England captain is Michel Platini.
The former triple Ballon d’Or winner and current UEFA president responded to the rumours by writing off Beckham, stating “Beckham in Paris will certainly be good for shopping. I love this player but he is not the footballer he was. And if he comes to Paris now it will be to do something other than football.”
Dismissive talk from French top brass doesn’t stop their with Laurent Blanc adding that he wants to see youth arrive at the Parc de Princes, “While their choice for Eden Hazard looks coherent, the one for Beckham… . It should be clear, his arrival at PSG would be a big commercial deal,” before conceding that the old boy would certainly help flog a fair amount of overpriced guff with his name on it.
This type of verbal slamming Beckham is all too familiar with, having come-back more times than a bloody boomerang (I have never had a boomerang return to me but the analogy remains) however, I think these Gallic grouches have got it spot on this time.
As a player Beckham, 36, is a spent force and it is questionable as to what he would offer to a young and talented PSG squad slowly being built around the majestic string pulling of big money, summer recruit Javier Pastore. Dave has not played genuine top flight football since 2007 save for one relatively successful spell at Milan (2 goals, 5 assists in 18 appearances) and one less so (0 goals, 1 assist in 11 appearances) that both have a whiff of the rose tinted about them.
PSG are setting their sights firmly on Champions League football next year, by which time Beckham would be 37. The move doesn’t seem to make any footballing or monetary sense from a club that spent €98 this summer and is backed by some rather rich chaps from Qatar. They don’t really seem to need the extra wonga that selling PSG toothbrush holders with Beckham’s name on to over excited teenage girls in the Far East would provide.
On the pitch the man who was sluggish and getting by on his exceptional delivery and determination half a decade ago is now positively slothful and is whipping in his curlers from closer to the half way line than the bye line. Considering his lengthy exile in the substandard MLS, I just don’t think he has much to offer a top flight European side any more.
Beckham whose LA Galaxy contract ends this month claims he wants to keep playing in a bid to secure a place in this summers GB Olympic football squad. However with the amount of benevolence and nostalgia that the man evokes on the back of his pleasant demeanour, looks and world class PR mean he could join the BNP, indulge in a four month crystal meth binge and take up fox hunting and still get picked to captain our first Olympic football team.
At present interest in his signature lies with QPR, Tottenham, PSG and an offer of an extension from LA Galaxy, however, wherever he goes I hope it’s a final pit stop for this once great player. The Olympics would be a lovely way for the loveliest of men to end his career with a unique swansong before he joins Alan Shearer in diminishing the nations IQ on the MOTD sofa each Saturday.
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