David Beckham dropped by Vodafone
LONDON (AP) - David Beckham's marketability may be fading.
The England captain and Real Madrid star - soccer's most recognizable player - has been dropped as the advertising face of the mobile-phone giant Vodafone.
Vodafone announced Tuesday that it had ended its three-year deal with the 30-year-old Beckham. The initial two-year contract was renewed 12 months ago, but expired on July 1.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank David for his contribution and involvement with all of our marketing initiatives over the last three years,'' Peter Bamford, Vodafone's chief marketing officer, said in a statement.
He said the contract was ended by "mutual agreement.''
Beckham's annual income is the highest of any soccer player in the world, estimated at US$32 million (?27) million by Forbes magazine. The magazine reported US$24 million (?20 million) came from endorsements.
Beckham's Vodafone contract was reported to be worth about 1 million pounds (US$1.75 million, ?1.45 million) a year. His also has major deals with Pepsi, Adidas and Gillette. The Gillette deal is the largest, worth about US$7.5 million (?6.2 million).
Vodafone spokeswoman Maria Bellanca said it was unclear if the company would seek a replacement for Beckham.
"We don't have anybody ready at the minute,'' Bellanca said. "We will look at that and if it's appropriate bring a new person on board.''
