Victoria Beckham has proudly paid tribute to her husband David Beckham following his announcement that he is retiring from football. In a statement, the fashion designer described David as "an amazing sportsman and a devoted husband and father", calling him "not just an inspiration to myself and our children, but for millions of people worldwide". On Thursday, sports star David, 38, announced his professional retirement after an illustrious 20-year career. His wife was among the first to honour his incredible achievements.
"The children and I are so proud of David, it's been an incredible journey for us all as we have watched him play at clubs all over the world throughout the last 15 years. "Myself and the children have cheered him from the stands, as he has held high trophies with his teams at Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, LA Galaxy and Paris St Germain. "This was not an easy decision to make, and to me and the children he will always be an amazing sportsman and a devoted husband and father. "He is, and will remain, a true ambassador for sport and is not just an inspiration to myself and our children but for millions of people worldwide. "We are all excited about the next chapter in our lives and the adventures we will explore as a family."
Victoria, 39, and David married in 1999 and are now parents to four children; Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and little Harper. They are one of the richest couples in the country with a combined fortune estimated to be worth £190 million — kind-hearted David donated his £3 million salary from French club PSG to charity.British Prime Minister David Cameron is among those who have paid tribute to the sports star following his announcement. "David Beckham has been an outstanding footballer throughout his career," he said. "Not only that - he has been a brilliant ambassador for this country, not least if we remember all the work he did in helping us win London 2012."On Thursday, David gave an emotional interview to his best friend and former Manchester United teammate Gary Neville to speak about his retirement. "Obviously it's a difficult decision because I still felt that I can play at the top level and still have done for the last six months. But I always secretly said to myself that I want to go out at the top. "Asked how he wanted his 20-year career to be remembered, he added, "I just want people to see me as a hard-working footballer and someone who is passionate about the game.
"Every time I stepped on the pitch, I've given everything that I have because that's how I feel. Going into games at the end of my career, that's how I look back on it and hope people will see me. I think, over the years, it’s been my life and my career. "People have obviously looked at certain other things that have gone on throughout my career and I think sometimes that's over- shadowed what I’ve done on the pitch and what I've achieved on the pitch. As much as I say that doesn't hurt me, of course it does. "At the end of the day I'm a footballer who has played at some of the biggest football clubs in the world and played with some of the best players in the world."