David Beckham brings to an end his glittering football career as he retires at 38

David Beckham has retired from football at the age of 38, bringing the curtain down on a glittering career, Sportsmail exclusively revealed today. The former England captain, nicknamed Goldenballs, will hang up his boots after another trophy-laden season, this time winning the French league title with Paris St Germain. Beckham, who has been commuting from London, has decided to bow out at the top of his game and will now be able to devote more time to wife Victoria and their four children, the youngest of whom is Harper, aged just 21 months.

Following the Mail's revelation, Beckham said in a statement: 'I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level.' This evening in an emotional interview with Sky after a training session with Paris St Germain, Beckham said that he thinks the time is right to bring the curtain down on his career. Beckham, who has an estimated £165million fortune, made his debut for Manchester United in 1992, winning six league titles and the Champions League before moving to Real Madrid and Los Angeles Galaxy, plus loan spells at AC Milan.
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He made his England debut in 1996 and would go on to be the Three Lions' most capped outfield player with 115 appearances. He was the first English player to score in three consecutive World Cup finals tournaments.

Beckham said: 'To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country.

'I knew every time I wore the Three Lions shirt, I was not only following in a long line of great players, I was also representing every fan that cared passionately about their country. I'm honoured to represent England both on and off the pitch.'

Despite the offer of an extended one-year deal at Paris Saint-German, the 38-year-old has played his last game, bowing out on a high after helping Carlo Ancelotti's side win the French title for the first time in 19 years.