Furore over future a kick for Beckham

LOS ANGELES, January 20, 2012 (AFP) - David Beckham admitted Thursday that he got a kick out of the furore over his footballing future, which he settled this week by returning to Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 36-year-old former England captain said his serious suitors included "one or two" English Premiership clubs, although he declined to name them, as well as Paris St Germain -- the French club touted in December as the front-runner to land him.

"It was fun watching it, to be honest," Beckham said Thursday at Staples Center arena, where the media assembled for his welcome-back press conference showed his continued drawing power.

"Everyone else was talking about it. I always said at the end of last season that there was a good possibility that I was coming back."

The player who won six English Premier League titles with Manchester United was pressed on just which English clubs made offers.

"One or two," he repeated. "It was one or two."

Beckham helped the Galaxy capture the MLS Cup league title in November, shortly before his ground-breaking five-year MLS contract expired.

In December, it was reported in France that Paris St Germain had signed him -- and that his wife, Victoria, had been scouting schools in the French capital for their four children.

Not true, Beckham said, noting that his wife, a pop star turned fashion designer, often visited Paris for her own work.

Beckham said he and his wife made the final decision to return to Los Angeles over a glass of wine at their London home on New Year's Eve.

He said he needed a few weeks after the emotion of lifting the MLS Cup to consider his options.

"I just needed a break," Beckham said. "I needed to get away, to rest my body and then to decide what I felt was the right move."

Beckham, who signed a two-year deal to remain with the Galaxy, said he considered leaving the MLS on a high note, and even retirement, although he later said that wasn't really a serious option.

"To be honest, retirement was never a part of my plans," the 36-year-old said. "It had been talked about by other people, but it always is when you get to this stage of your career.

"Retirement -- I haven't even started thinking about that yet."

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