David Beckham’s decision to turn his back on European and Champions League football in favour of the almighty American dollar has astonished football fans throughout the world.

At just 31, it was believed that Beckham still had much to offer the elite European game and despite the obvious improvement in American soccer over the past decade, this move still represents a competitive step down for Becks,

Beckham’s agreement to join the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS and come stateside was far from spontaneous and was born of a litany of factors.

Beckham had recently been dropped out of the starting picture with European juggernaut Real Madrid, starting just seven games this year. Despite this, the Spanish side offered Beckham a slightly improved two-year contract extension worth a reported $240,000 per week. Beckham had insisted that Madrid was the only club he was negotiating with, so the announcement that he had decided to trade his charmed life in Spain for an even more charmed life in America not only surprised Madrid officials, it angered them.

Coach Fabio Capello furiously declared Beckham would never play for Madrid again despite still having six months of his contract remaining, a stance backed by club officials. And its clear that hell hath no fury like a club scorned, as Real Madrid is also forcing Beckham to see out the remainder of his contract from the stands, ruling out a possible early switch to LA. Madrid president Ramon Calderon even went as far to describe Beckham as “a second-rate Hollywood actor,” although he would later apologise for the remark.

However, falling out of favour, and the lineup, at Madrid is not solely responsible for driving the English star into the arms of the Galaxy. The former England captain had many other options available to him after deciding his future no longer remained in Madrid. 

A number of English clubs would have jumped at the chance to bring Beckham back home to the Premiership. However Beckham has consistently stated that he would find it impossible to face his beloved Manchester United with another club and this stance effectively ended his career on home shores.

There were also reports strongly linking Beckham with a move to Italy, with both Milan giants, AC and Inter, showing strong interest in bringing him on board with the tempting offer of likely Champions League football. In fact, all football reasons seemed to point towards Becks staying in Europe. Save one, his international future.

Beckham was the high-profile casualty of new England coach Steve McClaren’s vision for the future, as Sven Goran-Erickson’s replacement opted to promote younger players to the squad at Becks expense. McClaren had always insisted that the door would never shut on a return for Becks to England’s national team, but having fallen out of favour at the club level, the midfielder had little opportunity to win back a place.

Rumours persist that the decision to move to America and effectively abandon any hopes of a return to the international scene came off the back of a reported discussion with the England coach regarding his future. One can only presume that the definitive answer from McClaren was that Becks’ England career was over, which would be a likely catalyst for him to call time on his career in Europe and opt to wind down his career in the less scrutinised world of American Soccer.

There is, however, a whole other aspect of Beckham’s life that influenced this decision: celebrity. It has often been reported that Beckham’s wife Victoria has longed to relocate to Los Angeles. The ex-Spice girl has followed her husband throughout his career and her career prospects have been restricted by the location of Beckham’s club. Now, as has been much reported, she may use this opportunity to jumpstart an acting/modelling career.

With famous friends like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, a high-profile move to America is the perfect platform for Posh and Becks to launch ‘Brand Beckham’ stateside. The opportunities offered in America are endless for a couple who already make many times more than their already lucrative salaries in endorsements and sponsorships.

Beckham insists that despite signing a contract that will earn him a reported $1,000,000 a week, the move is not motivated by money but by his desire to promote the game he loves to a worldwide audience. However this idea has been met with mockery, as critics have cited the failures of previous high-profile arrivals like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, and George Best to ignite general American interest in the sport.

Beckham will point out that his predecessors made the move to America much later in their careers. While the point is valid, it is hard to look past the enormous salary he’ll make under his five-year agreement. It’s a lot easier to have ideals about the fate of the game when you’re making seven figures a week.

Overlooked in all this is a certain faction that may not be able to look past Beckham’s contract: his soon-to-be teammates on the Galaxy. It is reported that the club’s next highest earner makes $900,000 a year, which is less than what Becks will take home in a week. Reported disruption inside the dressing room has increased with word that star Landon Donavan has left the club following the news of Beckham’s pending arrival.

The odds are Donovan won’t be the only player to voice displeasure at the enormous earnings gap between club’s rank-and-file and its newest import.

Hopefully Becks is right about having a greater impact than his predecessors did after jumping to the states, and the rest of the Galaxy will get over the fact that it will take them two seasons to make what Beckham makes in a month. If not, Becks’ American dream might quickly turn into a nightmare.