David Beckham bade a tearful farewell to his playing career at the Parc des Princes after he was substituted seven minutes from the end of Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 win over Brest, reports The Guardian.
Although PSG, who are celebrating winning their first French title since 1994, have a final fixture remaining, away to Lorient, the scenes at the end of a match watched by, among others, Beckham's wife Victoria and the former French premier Nicolas Sarkozy, had all the elements you might expect of a final outing for the 38-year-old.
At the point where Beckham saw his number was up he became clearly emotional, hugging each of his 10 team-mates in turn – most of whom had dyed their hair in British red, white and blue by way of a tribute to the Londoner – before working his way along the bench in similar fashion.
After the game he told the crowd: "I want to say thank you to everybody in Paris. To my team-mates, to the staff, to the fans. It's been very special to finish my career here. It could not have been any more special. I've finished my career in a team that has treated me like I've been here for 10 years."
Fans applauded as Beckham was hoisted on to his team-mates' shoulders and then thrown into the air. "Beckham – one more year please?" said one poster. But there may not even be one more game.
PSG's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, said he felt it was unlikely that Beckham would feature against Lorient.
"We have to decide, but I don't think he will play. He will come with the team but I don't think he will play … a plastic pitch is difficult for a 38-year-old," Ancelotti said, before praising Beckham's impact on world football.
"He will miss the world of football because he showed a good image every time, really professional. It was a fantastic evening for him."
Read more of this report from The Guardian.