The end of the 2012-13 football season has seen some of the most significant changes in European football in recent memory. Next season, the Premier League’s top three clubs will be starting their campaigns with new managers. In Germany, the impressive Bayern Munich will be celebrating the start of Pep Guardiola’s reign, whilst in Spain, Real Madrid are likely to be bidding goodbye to their ‘Special One’.

In the midst of so many farewells, one has, predictably, caught the eye of the international press. David Beckham, possibly the iconic footballer of his generation, has announced his retirement at the age of 38. For many of today’s students, Beckham is the superstar whose footballing antics we grew up following.

One of ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’, Beckham came through the Manchester United youth system with a crop of players, including Giggs, Scholes and Neville, who changed the face of English football. Following Alan Hansen’s infamous remark that “you’ll never win anything with kids”, Beckham and co. went on to secure the Premier League and FA cup double in 1996, before the triumphant 1999 treble.

Beckham’s detractors have pointed out that he never had much pace, rarely heads the ball and isn’t much of a tackler. It is, then, a testament to Beckham’s hard work, dedication to training and, of course, his deadly right foot, that he became such an influential player. Widely castigated after his quarter-final sending off in the 1998 World Cup, Becks showed his grit by playing an influential role for Manchester United in their unequalled 1998-99 season. After being handed the England captain’s armband by Peter Taylor in 2000, Beckham led his team by example, sending them to the 2002 World Cup with a stunning free kick against Greece in the final qualifier.  That goal alone ought to prove to any doubters that, for all the hairstyles and advertising deals, Beckham is first and foremost a footballer with considerable talent. Beckham is both England’s most-capped outfield player and the first English player to win a league title in four different countries (England, Spain, USA and France).

Beckham’s former United team-mate Paul Scholes also announced his retirement at the end of this season, after previously retiring in 2011, only to return to the fold for another season. Fellow former England player Michael Owen will also end his professional career after spending the past season at Stoke City. Both players are arguably more skilful than Beckham: Guardiola has lauded Scholes as the best midfielder of his generation, while Owen won the Ballon D’Or in 2001. Although both Scholes and Owen can list some remarkable footballing achievements and are also synonymous with an exciting period in English football, neither retirement has garnered as much attention as Beckham’s. While this may be attributed in part to injury struggles for both players in recent seasons, the contrast in media response is quite stark.

Of course, what makes Beckham truly unique is not his footballing ability, but his extraordinary fame off the pitch. Blessed with chiselled looks and a media-savvy wife, at times it felt as though his face was unavoidable. Beckham could, perhaps, have been forgiven for going off the rails, as so many before him have, in the face of such media attention. Happily though, Beckham has remained focussed and personable. Not for him the bar brawls, late-night drinking or high-profile affairs. Instead, players and managers commenting on his retirement have been unanimous in their praise of his professionalism, respectfulness and dedication. Beyond football and modelling, Beckham has devoted his time to good causes, becoming a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and championing the London 2012 Olympics bid. He has remained a committed family man. Above all, Beckham’s emotional reaction to his substitution in his final match for current team Paris Saint-Germain demonstrates that, for him, it is still all about the football. If David Beckham is a role model for our generation, he is certainly not the worst candidate we could have chosen.

In recent years, English football has been shaken by its fair share of scandals, including fights between team-mates and allegations of racism. Fans of the national team were dismayed by England’s failure to qualify for the 2012 European Championships. It is to be hoped that there might be a Scholes, an Owen, and perhaps even a Beckham waiting to be discovered within the current crop of talented youngsters, ready to be the role models needed for a new generation of football fans.