Just about two years ago, David Beckham announced his plan to bring soccer to the United States:

“Soccer is huge everywhere around the world, except in America. That’s where I want to make a difference with the kids.”

Now, Becks has grown restless on a team of ruffian clods, and Victoria has, undoubtedly, already become tired of shopping her way around Los Angeles. Cue the inevitable:

The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid player has expressed a desire to stay with Milan and secure a spot with the England national team rather than return to the Los Angeles Galaxy after his three month loan period expires on March 8.

“At the moment, Milan is more important than money. I want to think about football before everything else. I said in a clear manner what I think, I want to stay at Milan because I’ve rediscovered myself as a football player,” he said in Friday editions of Corriere dello Sport.

Beckham is about two years into a $32.5 million, five-year contract with the Galaxy of the MLS.

Galaxy will let probably him go for a tidy transfer fee, and the dozen or so American soccer enthusiasts will eventually get through the stages of grief. One wonders exactly how many bridges Beckham can burn, but, then again, a player’s career is only of finite duration, so he should seize this opportunity and run like hell with it. Here’s one last interesting tidbit:

[W]hich footballer (probably the most famous one in the world) immediately legged it from a recent party in the States after being offered a line of cocaine, because he thought it was a trap by the papers?

Ah yes, the American tabloids and throngs of paparazzi. Those are two things that perhaps Becks will miss even less than the L.A. Galaxy itself.