Manchester, March 14:

Manchester United turned David Beckham into an international superstar and on Tuesday he bid an emotional farewell to Old Trafford before he quits European soccer for the US.

Beckham joined United in 1989 at 14, debuted in 1992, and transferred in 2003 to Real Madrid. In July, he will start a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. “The time I spent at this club was the best time in my football career,” Beckham told the 74,000-sellout crowd at half time of a charity match won 4-3 by United over a Europe XI.

Wayne Rooney scored twice and Wes Brown and Cristiano Ronaldo notched one each for United. El-Hadji Diouf netted a pair for Europe and Florent Malouda had a goal but the teams played at a leisurely pace and rarely entertained the frustrated sellout crowd.

Injury forced him to withdraw from the star-studded European side which faced United to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the European Union and the Red Devils’ half century of play in continental soccer.

Since he moved to Spain, the he had returned to the stadium in northwest England as England captain but hadn’t been able to personally thank United for 14 trophy-filled years.

“I’ve waited four years to actually come back and to actually say thank you to the fans and the people of the club,” he said. Beckham won six English Premier League titles and a Champions League medal during his United career.

He told supporters that he was grateful for the strong support shown in his darkest hour. In 1998 he became a public hate figure after being sent off for England in a World Cup match against Argentina.

“I think I wouldn’t have got through many things without the people in this stadium,” he said.

On the pitch, he publicly supported his former manager Alex Ferguson who struck Beckhams eye with a football boot in a dressing room bust-up on the eve of his departure.

“Everybody knows here that you’ve got the best manager in the world at this club,” he told the crowd to rapturous applause.

Ferguson wasn’t surprised at the welcome for Beckham. “I was in the changing rooms but you expect him to get a reception like that,” Ferguson said. “All players get a great reception when they come back here. David Beckham had some great years here. He came as a boy, all his formative years were here. It was a great learning foundation here before he went to Madrid.”