The chance to earn $250 million over the next five years helped to persuade David Beckham to opt for a new career with Los Angeles Galaxy and the backers of Major League Soccer (MLS) are hoping that the arrival of the former England captain will lead to an influx of stars.

Beckham, 31, confirmed yesterday that he would be leaving Real Madrid for the United States in the summer and, if they do not recognise him already, every American from New Hampshire to New Mexico can expect to see his face on billboards and TV screens in a huge marketing campaign.

His earnings, which equate to about £70,000 a day, have caused a stir. As LA Galaxy’s “designated player” — a new rule allowing each MLS club to recruit a star name — he will be paid a playing salary of $10 million a year, similar to his wage at Real and five times more than the rest of the Galaxy squad put together.

That sum will be augmented by a $10 million annual merchandising deal, while his $20 million in existing sponsorship deals will also go up, with the MLS planning to use him in coast-to-coast advertisements.

Beckham, who will also take a stake in the club, will be earning 81 pence per second when he moves to California in July, the mid-season in the MLS, although he denied last night that money was the motivation. “There are so many great sports in the USA, so many kids playing American football and basketball,” he said. “Soccer is huge all around the world except in America and that’s where I want to make a difference with the kids.

“I don’t want to go out to America at 34 and people saying, ‘He’s only there to get the money.’ I want to hopefully build a club and team that have a lot of potential and that excites me.”

One of Beckham’s first matches is likely to be against Chelsea, who have a partnership agreement with the Anschutz Entertainment Group, the owner of LA Galaxy. After playing at the club’s Home Depot Center against the MLS All Stars last year, Chelsea will take part in a four-team tournament also involving the Galaxy in July.

To add further spice to the meeting, it is understood that Peter Kenyon, the Chelsea chief executive, proposed a move for Beckham last year but was overruled by José Mourinho, the manager.

The MLS hopes that other big names will follow Beckham to America, such as Ronaldo, who is also surplus to requirements at Real and is wanted by New York Red Bulls. Barclays Premiership stars can also expect lucrative offers, although Gary Neville, Beckham’s closest friend in football, has other priorities at Manchester United.

Beckham wants to see out the last five months of his contract with Real and win a medal after three barren seasons, although it remains to be seen whether Fabio Capello, the coach, will pick him. Beckham talked of having no regrets about his move to Spain and described playing with Zinédine Zidane as “the greatest honour of my career”.

Capello’s rejection had made it impossible for him to accept a two-year offer and with none of Europe’s elite clubs able to give him a starting place, he spurned offers from the likes of Bolton Wanderers for the American dream.

He is the American game’s most famous recruit since Pelé attracted 80,000 fans to watch New York Cosmos in the late 1970s. Beckham has signed a five-year contract as a player, although, given his friendship with Tom Cruise, it cannot be long before he is being linked with a different Hollywood role.

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