Becks dumps agency

David Beckham is turning down new sponsorship offers to concentrate on football, he revealed last night.

The England captain announced he had parted company with management company SFX but would continue to work with Tony Stephens, his agent at the sports group.

In a statement, Beckham said he wanted to focus entirely on his game, given 'the European Championships and a busy year in Madrid'.

His contract had expired and was due for renewal, the statement added.

A spokesman said SFX would only continue to earn from the current deals Beckham was contracted to.

The news appeared to shock the management firm, which - in the past year alone - negotiated commercial deals worth more than £10million a year for Beckham.

They included contracts with Pepsi, adidas, Marks & Spencer and Vodafone.

SFX chairman Jon Holmes said: 'We

are very surprised to learn of this statement given that Beckham remains under contract to SFX for the next two years.'

The footballer's spokeswoman said the move had nothing to do with former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, who announced in August he was working with Beckham's wife, Victoria, to make the family name a global brand.

The split from the agency follows pictures taken last month of Becks at a Madrid nightclub with his aide and SFX employee Rebecca Loos, amid rumours of a crisis in his marriage.