Sports

Does David Beckham's Move To AC Milan Signal the End of His Career in The US?

by Jon Azpiri | October 22, 2008 at 01:09 pm

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As previously reported, soccer star David Beckham is being loaned out to Italian powerhouse AC Milan.

The move will see Beckham play for the Italian club in January before returning to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 33-year-old midfielder is said to have made the move in an effort to crack the English rosters for the 2010 World Cup. Becks believes that the his time in Italy will prove that he can still compete against the world's top players. Beckham had fallen out of favor with former England coach Steve McClaren and the move might be seen as a way to get in the good books with new coach Fabio Capello.

Some see the move as one more step towards Beckham giving up on playing in North America. Earlier this week, former LA Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit suggested that Beckham's efforts to popularize soccer in North America may ultimately prove to be futile.

"David is more than just a football player and I think he does extremely well to give football here a lift," Gullit told Reuters. "I think [American soccer organizers] are afraid of football because it's so popular everywhere around the world. I think they will just control it so it doesn't become more popular than their American sports.

"I have my doubts if they really want to make [soccer] popular. Some sports already have had a bit of a dive so they don't want American football to become less popular, or basketball or baseball."

Beckham may view his return to Europe as a chance at winning more championships, something that will likely not happen in the MLS. The LA Galaxy have failed to make the playoffs since Beckham signed with the team in 2007.

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