David Beckham to quit LA Galaxy next month

Former England captain David Beckham is leaving Los Angeles Galaxy next month after six years at the American Major League Soccer (MLS) club.

He intends to quit after the season-ending MLS Cup final on 1 December.

n a statement Beckham, 37, said: "I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career."

Melbourne Heart claim they are in talks with Beckham over a "10-game stint" in Australia, despite his camp saying he had "no plans" to play in the A League.

Heart chief executive Scott Munn told BBC Sport: "We are incredibly serious and working tirelessly with David's representatives to table a compelling offer which is commensurate with the international player that David is.

"We're taking to David about a 10-game stint. Football is the third code behind Australian Rules football and rugby league - we think David takes it to the next level."

Beckham joined Manchester United as a 14-year-old and went on to make 398 appearances for the club, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

He moved to Real Madrid in a £25m deal in 2003, winning the La Liga title in 2007 just weeks before his switch to the United States.

He made his England debut against Moldova in 1996 and captained the side from 2000 to 2006, making his 115th and final England appearance in a 3-0 win over Belarus in 2009.

"I don't see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future," Beckham added.

Beckham's initial contract with the league included a clause allowing him to be involved in owning an MLS expansion team down the line.

His stint in Los Angeles brought success in the form of the Galaxy's third MLS Cup crown last year.

Twice he moved on loan to AC Milan during the American off-season. The second time, he tore an Achilles tendon that kept him out of a large part of the following MLS season.

Beckham was voted the league's best player by supporters last season.

However, American football journalist Sean Wheelock, who is a regular guest on the BBC's World Football phone-in radio show, believes Beckham has not had the same impact on the game in the United States as Pele did in the 1970s.

"The league has grown exponentially but it would have grown anyway," said Wheelock.

"I see a direct link with players like Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane coming over to MLS but I'm not going to buy into the argument that he [Beckham] revolutionised it because the league has been making slow gradual climbs forward."

Former Galaxy team-mate Chris Birchall, who is now playing for Columbus Crew, believes Beckham will still have a host of clubs interested in signing him.

Birchall, 28, said: "His speed has gone but that's about it. His technical ability, his passing and his free-kicks are second to none and still up there."

-BBC