Beckham signs for PSG

PARIS: Former England captain David Beckham on Thursday signed for Paris Saint-Germain in a five-month deal, fuelling hopes of a celebrity boost for French football as it faces up to an exodus of top players.

The 37-year-old midfielder, one of the world's most recognizable sportsmen with a pop star wife and an estimated net worth of 190 million pounds ($300 million, 220 million euros) has been without a club since leaving Los Angeles Galaxy last year.
But after a day of fevered speculation, the ex-Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan star was unveiled by the French league leaders at a packed news conference after a routine medical at a city hospital.
Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told reporters he was delighted to have secured Beckham's services until June 30 while the player himself said he was "excited and honoured" to be part of PSG's plans to develop into a major European force.

Father-of-four Beckham, whose family will remain in London, revealed that he would donate his salary during his time in the French capital to a local children's charity.

Beckham, capped 115 times for England -- a national record for an
outfielder -- first came to prominence at Manchester United and in 1999 helped the club win the coveted "Treble" of the English Premier League, FA Cup and European Champions League.

Renowned as a dead-ball specialist for the quality of his delivery from free-kicks and corners, Beckham rose through the ranks as one of a crop of talented young players including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville. He made his United debut aged 17 in 1992 and went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League with the English giants. His England debut came in 1996 and two years later he was sent off during a last 16 defeat by Argentina at the 1998 World Cup in France, making him a brief hate figure for many England fans.(AFP)