BECKHAM TO BUY MLS FRANCHISE

David Beckham has announced that he will buy his own Major League Soccer team when he calls time on his playing career.

The England midfielder, who is currently sharing his playing time with AC Milan and LA Galaxy, is thought to be thinking of retiring when his MLS contract expires in 2011. And it seems that he is already making plans for when he hangs up his boots.

Beckham said:

I have the right to own an MLS franchise, which I will action immediately after I have stopped playing.

I have a commitment to develop soccer in the United States, which is something I am passionate about.

Although there have always been rumours that a franchise purchase clause was in his contract, this is the first time that the news has been made public and official. However, most experts believe that Beckham will go in to business with a patron who will stump up the majority of the cash.

The MLS will be bigger by the time Beckham retires as new sides are joining yearly. Indeed, Vancouver, Ottawa, Portland and St Louis are in the running for the two places on offer in 2011.

However, probably more attractive to the former England captain will be Las Vegas and San Diego, who have long expressed an interest in joining MLS and are closer to Beckham’s LA base.