London Football News

They call it the most lucrative game in football.

The winners of next week's Championship play-off final won't just get Premier League glory, they'll get a whole lot of cash as well.

And it's definitely one of our teams that will be hitting the jackpot - as Watford FC takes on Crystal Palace.

Ruth Banks reports.

• Sport
• Football
• Crystal Palace

Noel Gallagher tells Lucrezia Millarini that David Beckham should take up songwriting now he has announced his retirement from football.

• Sport
• Noel Gallagher
• Football

The Essex County Football Association has tweeted a picture of a fresh-faced David Beckham's Essex Schools ID card:

• Sport
• David Beckham
• Football

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.

• Politics
• David Cameron
• David Beckham

England manager Roy Hodgson said he hopes David Beckham resists the temptation to move away from football in retirement, and instead remains involved in the game:

David is a man with many talents and a lot of people will now be offering him different jobs, different roles, some of which could take him away from football, but I’m rather hoping we will be able to keep him in football.

We could benefit from his experience, we could benefit from his charisma, and benefit from the magnificent past he has had as a football player.

I didn’t know him too well before taking the job, but since I have been appointed he has been unbelievably supportive, if only with things like text messages wishing us luck.

In David Beckham England has a big fan, a great supporter.

• Sport
• David Beckham
• Football

The former Olympics minister Tessa Jowell has tweeted her tribute to former England captain David Beckham, who was a key figure in the successful bid for the 2012 Olympic games:

.@lbc973 we owe David a huge debt, great footballer & great Olympic ambassador. Memories of Flame arriving @ Culdrose http://t.co/i7ZMYvfGkV

From @jowellt on Twitter: ( 3:03 pm, Thu 16 May 2013)

• Sport
• Tessa Jowell
• David Beckham

FA chairman David Bernstein has paid tribute to David Beckham after the former England captain called time on his playing career:

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.

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.

• Sport
• David Beckham
• Football

The final match of David Beckham's career will be against French side Lorient on Sunday 26 May.

English League One side Leyton Orient took to Twitter to point out that they have no connection to the Ligue 1 outfit, after receiving "a few phone calls".

Already had a few phone calls but to clear things up Beckham's last game is against FC Lorient not us.

From @leytonorientfc on Twitter: ( 2:46 pm, Thu 16 May 2013)

• Sport
• Leyton Orient
• David Beckham

David Beckham is one of England's most decorated footballers, but things haven't always run smoothly.

Read about the ups and downs of Beckham's career on the ITV Football site.

• Sport
• David Beckham
• Football