David Beckham has had a statue of himself unveiled in Los Angeles as he attended the LA Galaxy's 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on the opening day of the 2019 MLS season. The former England captain played for LA Galaxy between 2007 and 2012 during the twilight years of his stellar career, leading them to two championships, and he is still held in high regard in California.
During a special ceremony ahead of the game in California, Beckham's statue was unveiled as he was joined by wife Victoria at a special ceremony.
During a speech, Beckham insisted he wanted to help the American league grow and insisted there is still 'a long way to go'.
He said: 'My commitment to this league and country was always a lot more than on the field,' Beckham said as he addressed the crowd.
'I wanted to grow the game and play a small part in growing this league and making it bigger. I think we have been successful but there still is a long way to go but I think we are very happy with the growth over the past 10 years.'
Beckham's signing in 2007 gave higher prominence to the league internationally as more top players arrived and fan interest increased.
'No doubt our league wouldn't be what it is today if David didn't make that decision,' MLS commissioner Don Garber added. 'At that time we were a fledgling business and trying to figure out if soccer would make it in America. His signing told the world that Major League Soccer could be the league of choice.'
Beckham admitted he felt a little sheepish to be the subject of the Galaxy's first statue in their legends plaza, which is located outside their stadium's main entrance.
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