David Beckham: Why Leaving the Galaxy Is Good for the MLS

From London to Paris to Leicester? With David Beckham's contract set to run out at the end of the year there have been many suitors lining for his signature. While there is no doubt that Beckham has done great things to advance the league and soccer in America as a whole, what is best for the league is for Becks to move back to Europe.

While there are many reasons for this, two big ones stand out and that is the development of the league, and the image of the league.

When Becks first arrived on the scene, the league was desperate to bring in star power to gain attention and a better reputation. While that worked for a while, the number of older players joining the league garnered a somewhat negative reputation—that of a retirement home; a place where European players can gracefully live out the rest of their career still on high wages, and without the embarrassment of being out of place in a top league.

For the league to continue to develop, it must shed its image as a retirement home and work towards being a viable option for international players to grow and develop in. If Becks leaves the league, the figurehead of that sector of players would be gone and the league would be allowed to grow without his shadow being cast over everything it does. 

Beckham's leaving could also be positive in terms of recruiting players to the league as well. If Becks leaves and signs with a top club overseas, it will show players that the MLS is not a graveyard for a career. It will be a viable option for players looking to advance and show off their skills with an opportunity to move to bigger and better things.

At this point in time MLS is not even the best conference in North America; in order to get better it must be able to attract players from lower leagues who are looking to advance their career, and while that may be true for some smaller leagues in the area, it is not a fact in most of South America or across the ocean.

Better talent equals a better league but until players see the league as a place they can showcase their skills it will struggle to be more than it is now. 

Beckham did great things for soccer in America when he first came—he increased exposure not only in American but across the globe. Though, it is time for him to move on and if Beckham really wants to help Soccer in America…leaving the US is the best thing he could do.