'Retiring' Becks planning to buy own franchise following 'sweetheart clause' in US contract

Football legend David Beckham is reportedly planning to buy his own club after pulling the curtain on his glittering playing career.

According to the Mirror, after 115 England caps and 19 trophies from his 500-plus games with five top-flight clubs, Beckham estimated to be worth 165 million pounds, is already planning life after his playing career by buying his very own football club, the Mirror reports.

The report further said that the former England footballer is looking to set off a special clause in his US contract that enables him to own a team in the America, adding that the football icon is also exploring whether he could team up with mega-rich Middle East billionaires for his new American dream.

According to Don Garber, commissioner for the USA's Major League Soccer (MLS), there is a 'sweetheart clause' in Beckham's original 2007 contract that allows him to open his own franchise at a nominal fee in an American city though not in New York.

Stating that anything is a possibility, Garber said that it became part of the negotiations that in retrospect turned out to be a good deal for both MLS and Beckham.

The report also said that Beckham, who played in the Los Angeles Galaxy for five years, is considering starting his new franchise in the US state of Florida, specifically its cities Miami or Orlando.

According to the report, the Qatari owners of Beckham's current club Paris Saint -Germain are looking to expand their worldwide sporting empire, adding that apart from considering the chances of entering the world of American sport, they will also be negotiating with Beckham to promote the 2022 World Cup, controversially scheduled to held there.

Meanwhile, financial experts believe that Beckham would make another 200 million pounds through lucrative sponsorship deals over the next 10 years, and is on course to become one of the top five richest sportsmen of all time.

Beckham's close ties with the Qataris came following his signing Paris Saint-Germain, which is owned by the investment arm of the Gulf State, the report added.