And so the story of one of our own, part of the youth team that proved kids can win everything, heads to Paris to play for free in what may be the final chapter of his career.
David Beckham, the man whose name will be forever chanted at Old Trafford as a footnote to the praise of his world class successor Cristiano Ronaldo, moves his celebrity family to another world city.
London, Manchester, Madrid, Los Angeles, Milan and now Paris will host the David and Victoria show which has reputedly netted the modelling fashion idol $200m.
My own view of Beckham is slightly tainted by his failure to excite.
As a player he is totally one footed, lacks pace, can’t tackle, can’t head the ball and yet his ability to see a pass and cross the ball better than Ryan Giggs can dream and swerve free kicks that matter into the net at crucial moments meant he has maximized his talent and turned it into cash.
George Best was so much more blessed with talent but squandered his looks and his ability on women and booze, but Beckham has looked after himself as well as Giggs and Paul Scholes have, and a man who was no better than Lee Sharpe at his best, goes on to infamy.
At United the Beckham memories include goals from the halfway line and free-kicks to save England against Greece alongside the comedy of the boot in the eye and Victoria vs Sir Alex Ferguson.
He left us after his very best years to sell shirts in Madrid which he did effectively, as well as playing in midfield as an Xabi Alonso type-playmaker. His on field success was better than I expected after which Hollywood went to Hollywood.
In LA he played in an athletic league where huff and puff exceeds guile and skill by a huge margin. Yet his passing never deserted him, although his pace was long gone before he arrived, his determination and fight remained strong.
Beckham is a winner. He cares and does his best all he time. He is fit and takes care of himself and he has recovered his image after the Rebecca Loos affair to be a model family man.
In Manchester, Beckham will always be someone we are proud of, but that’s also true in Madrid and LA. Few players have been popular wherever they go but he has done that.
I don’t know David Beckham but I like him. I like the fact he knows his limitations, he exploits his assets to the full and he tries his best all the time. Those of us who work for a living at less glamorous jobs can associate with that, it’s the basic recipe for success in any career.
So I wish him well in Paris, he is a model footballer by all definitions of that phrase and a man who demands admiration from men and women alike, if for very different reasons.
His epitaph might read ‘everyone liked him’ and even Landon Donovan might agree with that now.
I can tell you right now that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will enjoy the crosses he is going to receive from our boy Becks.
By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve