His detractors would say David Beckham's been a Hollywood footballer long before agreeing to move himself, Victoria, Brooklyn and Romeo from Madrid to Los Angeles next summer, but they can detract all they like: Brand Beckham would appear to have some life left it in yet, if the $250 million (€194 million) over five years offered to him by LA Galaxy is anything to go by.
Beckham's contract at Real Madrid, where he moved from Manchester United for £24.5 million (€37 million) 3½ years ago, is up this summer and having spent much of the season so far sitting on the subs' bench he decided it was time to seek pastures new. There was no shortage of offers, by all accounts. Bolton Wanderers was one of the clubs said to be interested. The 31-year-old former England captain (he's been dropped from the national squad since last summer's World Cup) always insists he makes no decision without consulting Victoria.
The conversation might have gone like this:
David: "Bolton or Los Angeles, babes?" Victoria: "Bolton! Two words, babes: 'Div' and 'Orce'.
David: "Okay babes."
Victoria: "Is Los Angeles anywhere near LA, babes?"
So, LA Galaxy it is - a club, incidentally, owned by sports and entertainment giants AEG, who happen to be partners in Beckham's football academy in Los Angeles, which is based at, get this, LA Galaxy's home ground. The money, Beckham reassured his devotees yesterday, has nothing to do with his decision to move to the US, although having only earned £4.4 million (€6.6 million) last year at Madrid and £19 million (€28.7 million) from sponsorship deals, making him British football's richest player, with a personal fortune of £87 million (€131 million), he clearly had to do something to secure Brooklyn's and Romeo's futures.
But there is a certain European snobbery about football in the United States (sawkur), snobbery that wasn't lightened by that 1993 New York Post headline: "Harkes goes to Sheffield, Wednesday".
With a league (Major League Soccer) that is largely made up of players called Dwayne, Chuck and Coby, one that includes teams with names like Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards and New York Red Bulls, the Europeans struggle to take it seriously, instead viewing it as a retirement home for players who are past it, or for players who can't pass it.
Beckham, though, will hope to change that image. Famously, when once asked if he was a volatile player, he replied: "Well, I can play in the centre, on the right and occasionally on the left side." It's that degree of, eh, versatility that has LA Galaxy hoping that $250 million over five years will prove to be dollars well spent.
