David Beckham is retiring from soccer, ending a career in which he became a global superstar who transcended the sport. He burst into floods of tears as he played his final ever game as a professional footballer in Paris.
The 38-year-old was given the honour of captaining Paris St Germain during their final home game of the season against Brest and paid an emotional farewell as he brought the curtain down on a career spanning more than 20 years.
With his wife Victoria and their four children Romeo, Brooklyn, Cruz and Harper, watching from the stand, Beckham was given a standing ovation by players and fans from both sides as he left the pitch to be substituted in the second half.
A visibly upset Beckham was inconsolable as he left the field on 81 minutes.
The game came to an impromptu halt as PSG players surrounded him and hugged the former England captain by one before he walked off.
Addressing PSG fans after collecting a winners medal, Beckham said: 「I want to say thank you to everybody in Paris— to my team-mates, to the staff, to the fans.
「It's been very special to finish my career here. It could not have been any more special.
「I just feel that it's the right time [to retire]. I feel that I've achieved everything that I could in my career. I wanted to go out as a champion. I've finished my career in a team that has treated me like I』ve been here for 10 years.
「After 22 years of playing football I'm going to take a few months to enjoy time with my family.」
In his final outing , the midfielder enjoyed a fine game, spraying some of his trademark 50-yard passes around the pitch before assisting a goal from a corner as PSG went 3-0 up before half time.
The team, who have already been crowned champions of Ligue 1, won the game 3-1.
After the game Beckham was tossed in the air by his teammates in the centre of the pitch as the retirement celebrations began.
「Yes, it is unusual for somebody to be honoured in this way after only being at the club for a few months, but that's the nature of modern football. 」
Beckham started his career with Manchester United and also played for Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy, winning titles with all those clubs.
Beckham has paid tribute to his former teams, his nationality, and his children by wearing a personalised pair of Adidas Predator boots.
Beckham, capped 115 times for England and the man who helped London secure the 2012 Olympics, chose the colours red, white and blue to represent the Union Jack, with the flag embossed on the heel.
As well as his children's names, the boots are also emblazoned with the significant numbers from his playing career with Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy: 7, 23 and 32.
「To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country, 」 Beckham said. 「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 honored to represent England both on and off the pitch.
「If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I'm fortunate to have realised those dreams.」
Beckham, whose forays into fashion and marriage to a pop star wife have made him a riveting international celebrity. Beckham is now living in London with his wife Victoria, a former Spice Girls」 singer, and their four children.
Beckham had already started planning for his post-playing career earlier in the season, becoming an ambassador for Chinese soccer.
「Nothing will ever completely replace playing the game I love, however I feel like I'm starting a new adventure and I'm genuinely excited about what lies ahead,'' Beckham said. "I'm fortunate to have been given many opportunities throughout my career and now I feel it's my time to give back. 」
大衛•貝克漢姆告別足壇，結束了使他成為跨界全球超級明星的職業生涯。在巴黎，在他踢完職業生涯最後一場比賽之後，貝克漢姆深情落淚。
在巴黎聖日耳曼本賽季最後一場主場對陣布雷斯特的比賽中，這位38歲的老將以隊長身份出戰，之後他與球迷深情告別，結束了自己長達二十多年的職業生涯。
他的妻子維多利亞和他們的四個孩子羅密歐、布魯克林、克魯茲和哈珀到現場觀看了比賽，當下半場貝克漢姆被替換下場時，他得到了對陣雙方球員和球迷的熱烈鼓掌。
在比賽第81分鐘離開球場時，貝克漢姆顯得十分悲傷。
比賽臨時中斷，在貝克漢姆下場之前，巴黎聖日耳曼的隊友一一擁抱了這位前英格蘭國家隊的隊長。
頒獎儀式結束後，貝克漢姆在向巴黎聖日耳曼的球迷致意時說:「我想感謝巴黎的所有人，感謝我的隊友、俱樂部工作人員以及球迷們。
「我的職業生涯能在這裡結束是如此特別。不可能比這更特別了。
「我只是覺得這是（退役）正確的時間。我覺得在我的職業生涯中我做到了所能做的一切。我想以冠軍的身份離開。我在這裡結束我的職業生涯，俱樂部待我就像對待一個效力十年之久的老隊員一樣。
「我踢球已經踢了22年，退役之後我會花幾個月的時間用來陪伴我的家人。」
在他的謝幕戰中，這位中場球星享受了一場完美的比賽，在場上不時可見他那標誌性的50碼長傳。他利用角球助攻隊友得分，幫助巴黎聖日爾曼隊在上半時結束前就以3比0領先。
在這場比賽前已經獲得法國甲級聯賽冠軍的巴黎聖日爾曼最終以3比1獲得勝利。
比賽結束後，隊友們在球場中央把小貝拋向空中，慶祝他退役的儀式由此開始。
「的確，對於一個在俱樂部待了才幾個月的人來說，受到此般推崇是很難得的，但是這正是現代足球的本質。」
貝克漢姆在曼聯開始他的職業生涯，之後在皇家馬德裡和洛杉磯銀河隊效力，均獲得過俱樂部所在聯賽的冠軍。
為了向之前效力過的球隊、他的祖國，以及他的孩子們致敬，貝克漢姆穿著的是特別定製的阿迪達斯獵鷹戰靴。
曾115次代表英格蘭隊出戰、幫助倫敦獲得2012年夏季奧運會主辦權的小貝選擇了代表英國國旗的紅、白、藍色，並在球鞋後跟印上國旗的圖案。
球鞋上除了印著他孩子的名字外，還印著他職業生涯中效力於曼聯、皇家馬德裡和洛杉磯銀河俱樂部時的三個重要數字：7，23和32。
「直到今天，讓我感到最自豪的事情就是率領英格蘭隊出戰，」貝克漢姆說道，「我知道每當我穿上三獅軍團的球衣，我不僅僅是在追隨著一些偉大球員的步伐，也代表著熱情地關心著國家的每一個球迷。」
「無論是在球場上還是球場下我都為英格蘭隊而自豪。」
「如果有人在我兒時告訴我說，今後我將能夠成為一名優秀的職業球員，能夠隨自己兒時支持的曼聯隊贏得無數錦標，能夠成為英格蘭隊長並為國出戰100多場，能夠為世界上那麼多偉大的足球俱樂部效力……我當時一定會說這是個幻想。很幸運，我實現了這些夢想。」
貝克漢姆進軍時尚界並與娛樂明星的婚姻使他成為了令人著迷的國際巨星。貝克漢姆的妻子維多利亞曾是流行樂隊「辣妹組合」的成員，他們現居於倫敦，有四個孩子。
貝克漢姆在本賽季早期就已經開始策劃自己的後職業生涯，作中國足球大使。
「儘管我正在開始一些新的嘗試，並且對即將發生的事情充滿期待，但是沒有任何事情能夠完全代替我所深愛的足球，」貝克漢姆說道，「在我的整個職業生涯中，我被給予了很多機會，我想現在是我該回報的時候了。」
(瑜箬 選 段會香 譯)