Very sad news. A fantastic servant for his country and - beneath all the celebrity b*llocks - a genuinely top bloke.
However, I'm not convinced that this is bad news for England. Beckham has played in five major tournaments for England and - despite the fact that he's usually been superb in qualifying for them - he's been an unequivocal disappointment in each of those tournaments (France 98 was probably his best in an England shirt, but that will forever be remember for the Simeone kick).
Without the Beckham celebrity sideshow, I think England can thrive now and I'm even more optimistic about our chances.
Walcott, SWP, Johnson, Milner, Lennon (when fit), even Ashley Young... we've got plenty of options. Don't let the media fool you into thinking this has created a crisis!