Where he should have been all along.

A part of me is glad Golden Balls loan move seems to have turned into a permanent migration, given the fact that Becks shied away from top flight football way too early. Although we were not going to see his name on any FIFA World Player of the Year shortlists, there was a lot the former Real Madrid star could bring to the table on a European level.

From the start there was really no way Beckham could A) settle, and B) do for the game what the the Galaxy and the MLS wanted him to do for the sport in America. Just like for a football side, big names won't bring you anything more than 15 minutes of notority. His star power attracted attention, but it wasn't enough to bring any permanent change. That has to come from development, just like a club's youth academy.

A big draw for Becks had to have been the money, and after realizing that by this point in his career, money doesn't mean all that much, playing in a side like AC Milan must have been like coming home after being lost at sea. With a host of superstars around him, Becks has fit into a strong Milan side and has even pushed Ronaldinho out of the starting XI. Milan will benefit from his play and his marketing abilities, while the US will use the fact that David Beckham used to play for one of their sides.

In hindsight, Beckham probably should have gone straight to AC when they were after him as it became clear that he was going to leave Madrid. Then perhaps, after a few years plying his trade in the Serie A would a move to the US seem slightly more rational and intelligent. But hindsight is always 20/20.