It was only a few months ago there was news David Beckham had signed on with a new team -- and now he is retiring. Click through for a look back at Beckham through the years.
Former England captain
Beckham, who announced his retirement from football Thursday, was the
first superstar footballer to embrace his "gay icon" status, freely
giving interviews to gay magazines and openly talking about his gay fan
base.
That attitude was the catalyst for a change, according to author and journalist, Chas Newkey-Burden.
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"What David Beckham did was break the long silence about homosexuality in football," Newkey-Burden told CNN.
"Before Beckham came along, it was basically a taboo but he changed all that.
"He openly courted his gay fan base, saying he loved being a gay icon and was happy for his wife to broadcast that around.
"He was the first to give interviews to gay magazines -- before that, no footballer would have done that.
"He also changed the way
footballers were looked at. He was inherently good looking, but it was
that he paid so much attention to his appearance that was
unprecedented."
In an interview with the BBC given in 2007, Beckham spoke of his pride at being tagged as a "gay icon".
"Maybe it's things like
(the fact) I like to look after myself, I like to look smart and
presentable most of the time," he said at the time.
"I always liked to look
good, even when I was a little kid. I was given the option when I was a
page boy once of either wearing a suit or wearing knickerbockers and
long socks and ballet shoes -- and I chose the ballet shoes and
knickerbockers."
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Once Newkey-Burden spent
five months trying to organize an interview with the midfielder, only
for the player himself to sanction the piece after reading one of the
journalist's articles on football and homosexuality in Four Four Two
magazine.
"David read the piece I did about how far football had come in dealing with homophobia," Newkey-Burden recalled.
"I know he was very
moved by the fact I wrote how he had opened the door to change and that
is what swung getting me the interview with him.
"Look, there are 92
league clubs in England with each squad having around 20 players, so
statistically, there must be some gay players, " added the journalist.
"One day it will be common place for footballers to come out and David Beckham will have played a part in that.
"He opened the door and it is the person who opens the door who makes the difference.
"Beckham said to the world: 'I'm straight, I'm the England captain and I think it's cool people are gay.'"
Despite Beckham embracing his "gay icon" status, football continues to struggle with homophobia.
Last February, U.S.
football star Robbie Rogers announced he was retiring from football
after "coming out" -- leaving Swedish player Anton Hysen as the only
openly gay player in Europe.
Rogers might yet make a return given he has been training with Los Angeles Galaxy.
Beckham was also key in
footballers becoming fashionistas and attracting interest from the
mainstream media, according to Newkey Burden.
"Gay football fans don't
want 11 neatly coiffured and manicured players to admire," said the
journalist and celebrity biographer who has written books about Adele,
Brangelina, Michael Jackson and Paris Hilton.
"They're more attracted to the old-fashioned kind of player like Vinny Jones or Alan Shearer if I'm honest.
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"But Beckham was someone who was proud to be a gay icon and made it cool too.
"Just look at the number of metrosexuals who have emerged since Beckham.
"It's now OK for players to have silly, floppy hair and dress in the way they do. He did that."
Players now try to trend it like Beckham more often than they try to bend it like Beckham.
From wearing his wife's
underwear to parading around in a sarong, the former Manchester United,
Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain man has never
been one to shy away from experimentation.
While former Spice Girl
Victoria has gone on to establish herself as a leading fashion designer,
it is Beckham who brought men into the 21st century with his eye for
the latest trends.
From his outrageous hair
styles to his love of grooming and moisturizing, Beckham relaunched the
notion of the metroxsexual along with his very own brand of cologne.
Whether it was by
provocatively modelng in his Armani underwear or being paraded in front
of the press in another exquisitely tailored suit, Beckham set the bar
high when it came to looking sharp.
"Beckham was the antithesis to the godawful lad culture of the late Nineties," GQ.co.uk fashion editor Nick Carvell told CNN.
"Being a footballer who
was clearly motivated by fashion trends and absolutely loved clothes, he
turned the idea of what it meant to be a stylish sportsman at the time
on its head.
"Sure he made some
mistakes along the way (cornrows), but that's what made him a
trendsetter -- he always led and never followed.
"He was certainly one of
the first celebrities to de-stigmatize grooming pursuits that were
previously seen as girls-only (his early penchant for highlights comes
to mind).
"Lots of people would say that it helps he has an athlete's body, but there are plenty of sportsman who dress appallingly.
"I think it's his willingness to try new things combined with a clear appreciation for a good tailor.
"He might have worn the occasional eye-raising get-up when he was younger, but it always fitted perfectly."
That infamous sarong,
which he was pictured wearing in 1998, was certainly one "eye-raising
item" but as Newkey-Burden explains, Beckham had no regrets.
"When I interviewed him
in 2006, I asked Beckham if he regretted wearing that 'dress'. He said:
'No, that's one of the things I'd do again!'"
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