David Beckham has bought a stake in Salford City, the National League side have announced.
The Manchester United legend has followed in the footsteps of his former team-mates Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt and secured a 10 per cent stake in the club.
With the ‘Class of 92’ major shareholders now at 60 per cent, Peter Lim remains the largest shareholder.
Beckham said: “It’s a proud moment for me to join Peter Lim and the ‘Class of 92’ lads as an owner of Salford City FC.
“It’s a really special club and a special group of people. My early years in Manchester were all spent in Salford. I grew up there in many ways so to be able to finally join the lads and the club today is a great feeling.”
Beckham’s involvement in the club comes five years after the Neville brothers, Scholes, Giggs and Butt took ownership at Moor Lane.
The ‘Class of 92’ said in a statement: “From the very beginning we wanted David to be involved and be with us on this incredible journey however circumstances and commitments didn’t allow that. Now the time is right and is another exciting time in Salford City’s history.
“It is important to emphasise that nothing will change in the day to day operations of the club but to have us all together was always the vision. We grew up in Salford, carved our careers here and that’s why we are doing what we are doing at Salford City.
“We have grown to love this club and the fans and we would like to welcome David to the club and to becoming part of the Salford City family.”
Beckham joining Salford is subject to Football Association approval and regulations.
Meanwhile, Scholes admitted he has a keen interest to be involved in coaching amid links to the Oldham job but does not yet know if that would impact his involvement at Salford.
“I’ve made no secret that, one day, I do want to get back into football in some form of coaching. If that’s Oldham, I don’t know,” the 44-year-old said. “There’s nothing to report on that.
“Whether it’s in the next year or two years, at some point I do want to get back into football. Whether that will conflict with Salford, I don’t know the total implications of that yet.
“The media stuff, I’ve half enjoyed doing it, but it’s not the same as being involved with a football club every day.
“When you leave school for 20 years you’re trying to achieve something all the time and for this last five or six years, that has gone away.
“I feel if I get back into football then I’ve got something to achieve again.”