David Beckham retires: live reaction 17.15 Ok folks, i'm out of here, but we will be updating the website throughout the evening with more news, comment and analysis. Click here to read more ... 17.00 Sven-Goran Eriksson, whose tenure as England manager between 2001 and 2006 coincided with some of Beckham's best years, told BBC radio: "He is a fantastic footballer and a fantastic person. All over the world you say 'David Beckham' and people know who that is. I don't think any other football player is more popular than he. Beckham himself has been speaking about his 22-year career, while we digest what he's been saying, here's a look through his highs and lows. Unbelievable really to think he bounced back from being Public Enemy No 1 15, yes 15, years ago, to becoming a notional hero of sorts. 16.45 Prime Minister David Cameron has thanked Beckham for "all the work he did on helping us win London 2012," a Downing Street spokesman said. The spokesman added: "The Prime Minister's view is that David Beckham has been an outstanding footballer throughout his career but not only that he has been a brilliant ambassador for this country, not least if we remember all the work he did on helping us win London 2012. The Prime Minister's message would simply be to say: congratulations on a fantastic career. Phil Thompson, the former Liverpool captain, reckons Beckham is a "proper bloke." We're not quite sure what that means, but think it's good ... 16.30 Essex Schools FA, have posted this in-no-way-whatsoever-opportunistic tweet following today's devestating news: Meanwhile, Football Association chairman David Bernstein, has thanked Beckham for his "outstanding contribution to English football." "It is quite amazing that in a week when Sir Alex Ferguson has retired that we now have David Beckham, another great of the game, ending his unique and hugely successful playing career," a statement from Bernstein said. I would like to pay tribute to David for his outstanding contribution to English football. He has been such a great ambassador for the game at home and abroad and was a tremendous performer for his clubs and England. David always played with the greatest passion and became an iconic figure in our national game. I am sorry to see him go but wish him and his family very well in his retirement. I am sure he will have so much to give back to the game in future, whatever he chooses to do. Former Manchester United star Gordon McQueen chipped in too saying that Beckham's move to America "was the beginning of the end." I felt that for the last three or four years possibly he's been a global celebrity superstar and it's not been about football. I think his career was on the slide when he left Manchester United; I know he went to Madrid and did alright and won the league, but when he went to America it was the beginning of the end. 16.20 Roy Hodgson, the England manager, has joined the growing line of footballing people ready to pay tribute to the midfielder. "I wish him well in the future whatever he chooses to do and I personally hope that will be in football," Hodgson said. David is a man of many talents and a lot of people now will be wanting him for different jobs and roles, some of which could take him away from us in football. But I'm rather hoping we'll be able to keep him in football because we can really benefit from his experience, we can really benefit from his charisma and we certainly benefit from the magnificent past he has had as a football player. 16.10 Leyton Orient have been getting inundated by telephone calls following Beackham's announcement just to confirm that they will NOT be playing in Ligue 1 anytime soon. Meanwhile, here's Beckham's official statement: "I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level. If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I'm fortunate to have realised those dreams. To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country. I knew every time I wore the Three Lions shirt, I was not only following in a long line of great players, I was also representing every fan that cared passionately about their country. I'm honored to represent England both on and off the pitch. I wouldn't have achieved what I have done today without my family. I'm grateful for my parents' sacrifice, which made me realize my dreams. I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period. I also want to thank Simon Fuller and his team for their continued support. I want to thank all my team-mates, the great managers that I had the pleasure of learning from. I also want to thank the fans who have all supported me and given me the strength to succeed. Nothing will ever completely replace playing the game I love, however I feel like I'm starting a new adventure and I'm genuinely excited about what lies ahead. I'm fortunate to have been given many opportunities throughout my career and now I feel it's my time to give back. 16.00 Preston North End supporter Bash has fond memories of Beckham's "peach" of a goal while on loan at Deepdale. "His peach of a free-kick at Deepdale against Fulham will always be fondly remembered," emailed in good old Bash. I'm guessing a few more people recall his dramatic last-minute equaliser against Greece though ... 15.55 Bury's most famous son end everybody's favourite football pundit, yes Gary Neville, is actually in Gay Paree where he has been discussing Beckham's future. Luckily Beckham's former team-mate has been chatting to his current employers Sky Sports. "He just feel it's the right time," Neville told them. He just feels he's taken it as far as he can. He wanted to come back home, he's been away for 22 years and he's got to the end of the road. He's won another championship at PSG, that's four in four countries, and he just wants to come home. Neville also paid tribute to the way Beckham has not only influenced football but also transcended it. "You look at it and think 'wow', he's got an incredible array of caps and medals, an incredible longevity," said Neville. He played in the greatest midfield I've ever played with: David, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. David was a crosser of the ball, a passer of the ball. He had incredible stamina and energy. He was a joy to play with. And when you think back on the way football has changed over the last 22 years, he has probably been the most influential player in that time out of England in terms of transforming football. In leaving the country, to Milan, LA, Paris, he has transported England around the world and that's something he was aware of and wanted to do. Every clothing garment he wore, every hairstyle was followed - not just in football but out of football. That's why you see him working as an ambassador for the Olympics. Gary's brother Phil, we believe, is not in France but he has been on Twitter ... 15.45 Steve McClaren, the former England manager, has been on the television hailing the former national captain. "He was a great player," said the man who dropped Beckham in his first match in charge before handing him a recall. He made the very most of his talents through sheer hard work and professionalism and always doing extra work on the training field. He inspired his team-mates through his performances. He was a winner, he's won so many things in his career, and that was infectious on his team-mates. And he was an inspiring personality to young players with his behaviour and professionalism on and off the field. But ultimately he was a leader and people followed him. The young players followed him in how he played and in his personality, and even off the field the young players of today are following him through his fashion. McClaren added: "By the end of his career he was a fantastic ambassador, not only for football around the world but for our country as well in helping bring major events to this country." 15.30 The Telegraph's Paul Hayward was quick to take to Twitter following the announcement: "I was just switching between the cricket and the Dante meeting at York when Beckham retired," wrote Hayward. I'd been thinking football will calm down now. You and me both Paul, does Beckham not know there's a bike race going on? Obviously not ... Good to see the Manchester United press office, who are getting pretty used to tweeting about these things now, quick off the mark to wish Beckham well ... 15.15 First Sir Alex Ferguson then Paul Scholes (obviously Jimmy Davies going came as a bit of a shock too), but now David Beckham has announced that he, too, will retire at the end of the season. That's right, after making his Manchester United debut two decades ago, the Leytonstone-born midfielder will bow out of the game when French champions face Lorient, no not Leyton Orient, on May 26. Seems kind of fitting. David Beckham will bring an end to one of the most illustrious and stardust sprinkled playing careers in the history of English football when he retires at the end of the season, writes Luke Edwards. Beckham, who had been expected to sign a one-year contract extension at current club Paris Saint Germain, but has instead decided to quit in order to launch a new phase in his football career. While some will argue Beckham fame, thanks to his model good looks and marriage to former Spice girl Victoria, out-stripped his actual ability as a footballer, there is no doubting the huge impact he has had on the game as its biggest global star. With 115 caps, the former England captain was also at the heart of the national side for morethan a decade. Making his debut in 1996, Beckham was the first-name on the teamsheet for much of his international career and played in two World Cup quarter-finals. After winning the French title with PSG, Beckham has won 19 trophies - 10 of them league titles - in a playing career spanning 20 years, and is the only English player to win championships in four countries. "I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level," said Beckham in a statement.