Former Manchester United star David Beckham's time at LA Galaxy has paid huge dividends once again - after it was revealed that his surprise move back in 2007 has earned him almost half a billion pounds in revenue and saved costs.
Beckham shocked the footballing world when it was announced he was set to leave Spanish giants Real Madrid for LA Galaxy in 2007 - at the age of just 32. Amassing 188 appearances in his six seasons for the Galaxy, Beckham's on-field won the MLS Cup twice in a row in 2011 and 2012 but his impact off the pitch was huge - lifting the MLS brand around the world.
He took a pay cut to move Stateside, earning a base wage of £5.4million per year as opposed to his reported £16.6m salary in the Spanish capital. However, a superb Twitter thread has come to light highlighting how Beckham actually earned more than £42m per year during his time in the US.
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The report by Joe Pompliano states that Beckham negotiated a deal to ensure he took a percentage of the team's revenue in every sector; including ticket sales, sponsorships, food and drink sales and more. As a result, he earned over £212m over five years - £185m more than his original wage. This made Beckham the highest-earning footballer in the world at the time, though he wasn't done there.
He also inserted a clause into his contract giving him the chance to buy an MLS expansion team for £20m following his retirement - a great deal as Toronto had only joined the league at that time for £8m. With Beckham's arrival massively increasing TV deals, attendances and more, franchises are now worth considerably more - averaging £484m compared to £31m in 2008.
Charlotte FC paid £270m to enter the MLS but with Beckham already having his deal in place, he saved a huge amount of money with Miami. As a result, a risky move on a wage much smaller than his Real Madrid salary has returned Beckham more than £400m in that time.
Miami have had a relatively strong start to life in their professional outings. Signing Premier League proven stars such as DeAndre Yedlin, Kieran Gibbs, Gonzala Higuain and Alejandro Pozuelo, the side managed by Beckham's former United colleague Phil Neville recorded their best finish yet with a sixth-placed finish in the 2022 Eastern Conference on the final day of the season, before losing to title favourites New York City FC.
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