David Beckham's emotional retirement after becoming "biggest sports personality in the world"

In recent years, football has become awash with bonafide superstars - but before the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo became bigger than football, David Beckham was the first star to truly transcend the sport.

After breaking through with 'The Class of 92' at Manchester United, Beckham went on to evolve into one of English football's biggest ever stars. Although international success eluded England's posterboy, the 47-year-old enjoyed an illustrious, trophy-laden career and even managed to win four league titles in four different countries amongst a host of other accolades.

Even though Beckham - who called time on his career on this very day back in 2013 - has long since hung up his boots, very few in the game can hold a candle to his glittering resume. After rising to prominence with United, Beckham made headlines with a blockbuster move to Real Madrid before blazing a trail with his history-making switch to LA Galaxy.

However, Beckham made a surprise return to the biggest stage in Europe during the twilight years of his career with temporary stints at AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. It was during his time in Paris that Beckham made the decision to call time on his storied career, with the former England captain bidding an emotional farewell to the professional game just weeks after he went public with his plans to retire.

Beckham arrived at the Parc des Princes at the age of 37, but the winger was still as influential as ever during his final innings. After joining PSG in January, Beckham racked up 14 appearances and even lifted the Ligue 1 title during his whirlwind spell in the French capital.

But the most iconic image of Beckham's stint in Paris was the sight of him in leaving the pitch in tears