Zidane Won't Follow Beckham

Zinedine Zidane has rejected the chance to come out of retirement and join David Beckham in the MLS after reports linked him with a move to LA Galaxy.

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The former France international midfielder, who is now a United Nations Development Program's Goodwill Ambassador, was publicly invited to move to the United States by Galaxy chief Alexei Lalas, but he does not want to make a come back.

After retiring from the professional game after the World Cup Final last summer, Zidane has been involved in charity and commerical work and does not feel the urge to start playing once more.

"I will not come back, no," he said.

"When you stop for a year, it's very hard to start again. What matters to me today is the chance to do everything I couldn't do before - spending time with my family and my friends, promoting some events and discovering the world.

"There is life after football - or, at least, there has been for me. The past 12 months have been very different, but my life is as full now as it was when I was playing football."

Zidane believes that Beckham has made the right decision to try a new start in Caliornia and was delighted to see his former team-mate lift the title before leaving Madrid.

"I respect his decision and I wish him all the best in his new life," he continued.

"I was very happy, because I consider myself to be Madrid's number one supporter. They produced an amazing turnaround in the second half of the season," he added.

"I am really happy for them to have recovered in such a manner. It was good for the team, good for the club and great for the players, particularly David Beckham. He deserved to win a title before leaving Madrid."