HOUSTON – After a 20-year career as a professional soccer player, DaMarcus Beasley is calling an end to his playing career.

The one-time winger, now left-back, will go down as one of the most decorated U.S. Men’s soccer players. The accolades speak for themselves.

Beasley is the only U.S. player to play in four World Cups, to go along with 126 caps. The only American to play in a UEFA Champions League Semifinals. He also helped the U.S. lift four Gold Cups.

Additionally, the 37-year-old played in the Bundesliga, the English Premier League, Liga MX, the Scottish Premier League, and the Eredivisie. He won titles in the Eredivisie and the Scottish Premier League.

And he was one of the first Major League Soccer transfers to move to Europe when he left the Chicago Fire for Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in a $2.4 transfer fee. Not to mention his stellar MLS career that includes three U.S. Open Cups and one MLS Supporters Shield Winner.

Suffice it to say, if there was a Mount Rushmore of U.S. soccer players, Beasley has an argument to be one of them.

But there’s no doubt, that Run DMB — one of the many nicknames he went by — makes an All-Time Best XI of U.S. players. The only question is if he makes it as a left-back, or as a winger.

Ahead of his final match, Sunday against the LA Galaxy, Beasley held one last press conference with media. For 30 minutes, the Fort Wayne, Indiana native talked about moving to left-back, his post-career plans, what he’ll miss and so much more.

What are your emotions going into your last game?

Mixed emotions obviously. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it, You know? It’s bittersweet. You know you don’t think about the end until it’s actually here. So for me, this game, obviously I want to play, I’m going to try to play, like any other game I’ve ever played. But I know, it’s going to mean more, because I know, it’s the last one I’ll ever put on my boots.

But I’m gonna try to still have the same mentality, still do the same thing that I would in any other game because it still is a game and I want to put on a good performance. I want our team to put on a good performance in front of our fans, in front of our fans and have a good game to, to leave on. So, that’s my thoughts.

But, you know, it’s, as I say, It’s bittersweet, because I know it’s the end, but at the same time yet, I’m giving it up. Something I’ve done for more than half my life. And that’s all I know, is soccer — playing soccer. So now getting closer to Sunday the emotions are getting a little bit heightened.

Could you ever have imagined that moving to left-back would have extended your career?

I’m a very, I am a confident person, I’m a confident player. I’ll be honest, I’ll be honest, if I stayed as a winger, and a midfielder would I would have played in the fourth World Cup? Probably not. I’ll be honest, probably not.

I mean, I was playing well in Puebla at the time when I got back on the national team but I think we had so many good players in that position Jurgen was already looking at someone else in those positions, which is fine, you know.

Do I still think I would have been playing? Yes, and that’s my honest opinion. You know, I’m biased. If I was still an attacker, do I still think I’ll be playing right now? Yes, because of the work and the things that I do off the field to get my body right, in my mind, right, and mentally and physically to play this game. I think I will still be here at a high level. But that’s my opinion.

So I don’t think left-back, I wouldn’t say it further my career but it’s made me look at football in a whole different way from the back. You have a different respect for different positions when you actually play it.

And I always hear when people tell me, ‘Ahh, you know, outside back, man, it’s easy. You just get the ball, you pass it and this and that,’ I’m like, try it one game, give me one game, and you’ll see how how it’s difficult. You got wingers running at you and you got, sometimes they’re quick with their feet, they’re fast, they go one-on-one, another one tries to run it behind you.

There are so many different wingers that you have to face and be ready for. Not to say that any other position is easy, but I’m just saying outside back it’s tough.

Getting up and down, defending, attacking, tucking in. It’s is a lot of things, so I wouldn’t quite say it further my career, I think it helped me be a more complete player. I will say that, because, yeah, I think I would still be here if I was, still trying to score goals because that’s what I did for more than half of my career. And it got me to where I was in Europe, and with the national team and World Cups.

On the field, I’m a confident boy, so I think that I would have still had the same. I don’t think I would have made a World Cup. I’ll be honest, I don’t think I would have but I still think I would have been playing soccer at a high level.

Any chance you ask Houston Dynamo head coach Davy Arnaud to play winger before the final whistle on Sunday?

I’ve been telling him for like the past month. Like, ‘Davy give me at least 10 minutes of time. Let me score. No, I’m kidding.

But like I said, and, I’m sure you guys read and heard me say, I don’t want to. If I did that, it’d be cheating game, it’d be cheating myself, I’d be cheating game. I want to play the game in the right way. I’ve always want to play that way. And always have played that way.

And when I was a young kid in Chicago, I’ve always been taught to always play the game in the right way. and the right way, is, if I do play if I do start, I’m playing left-back. That’s my position, I’m going to do it the best of my ability.

If I get a chance score, obviously, I’m gonna try to. But for me, a clean sheet is the best way to go out for a defender. It’ll leave a good taste in my mouth to do that with this group. Because it’s been a difficult season.

But for me, playing the game in the right way. Doing the right things, not cheating it, always making sure that you’re mentally prepared for the game and just do the same things that myself and the team have been doing forever.

What does the Houston Dynamo mean to you in particular, considering you played with many other teams?

When I left Mexico, my first option was to come back home. I thought I was ready to be back in America and play. I thought I was at a good age as well, I wasn’t coming in too old to come back. But obviously I enjoyed my time in Europe and Mexico, but I was ready to come back. And Houston opened its doors to me.

Speaking to Dom [Kinnear]. Speaking to [Chris] Canetti, the old ex-president that was here before, they really wanted me to be here.

And in any player and in a situation, when they’re going through transfers and new teams, you want to feel wanted, you want to feel that the coach, the front office, the president, that they actually want you to be there. And it’s not just an agent or something, trying to push that player on that team, the agent and the president they’re in cahoots to get players into different teams, but the coach doesn’t really want to.

So I felt when I came here that Dom, the staff, Chris, Gabrielle [Brenner], the owner, they all wanted me to be here and play for Houston Dynamo. And that speaks volumes for the club. And I’ve loved every minute that I’ve been here for the past five and a half years. I’ve made it my home now, And except for this humidity I love Houston.

I mean, Houston has been, it’s been great to me over the last, five and a half years. And, I look forward, even after Sunday, to stay in Houston, to live in Houston, and enjoy some more food. That’s definitely something I’m planning to do.

What are you going to do on Monday morning?

I’m going to training. I think Davy said we have training on Monday now.

[Beasley’s laughs before getting back to the question]

Yeah, I don’t know. That feeling, I can’t tell you it till Monday happens or even Sunday after the game. I don’t know what I’m gonna feel. I do know, and I’ve talked to many ex-players that they’re retired on their own merit, and some that, maybe, unfortunately, an injury took their career away a little bit early, but you’re going to get that itch. You’re going to get that itch that you want to want to play again, and you’re going to think that you can play again.

And I know, I’m going to get that.

So just staying busy, trying to find something that I really enjoy and love. And be passionate about and do that. So that’s what I’m looking forward to. And obviously, I’m sad, and that this is the end, but at the same time, I’m excited. I’m excited for the future. I’m excited. I’m intrigued about what, the next page, next chapter is for me after football,

So as much as I’m dreading Sunday because it’s my last game, I’m happy at the same time. That’s why I say bittersweet because it is. Because I mean, I can say the things that I think I want to do, I don’t have anything concrete yet, but the things I think I want to do. I’m actually excited about maybe getting into that field. So, hopefully, I love whatever I do as much as football and I enjoy doing it for the rest of my life.

Do you think you’ll bring one of the training programs that you have in Fort Wayne here to Houston?

I mean, I’d love to. I think the future’s in the youth. There are so many players that are missed, And, as far as in this, and I don’t want to get into all that, but it just, it goes from, do we have enough people that really care about getting into these places to really find talent in our country.

Why are these kids getting missed? This is something that, I think we need to think about and talk about because we’re a huge country. We have so much talent in this country. And a lot of kids at, 10-11 years old, they stop playing soccer. They just go to basketball, they go to football, and that’s a fact that’s not my opinion, that’s a fact.

So hopefully, that changes, and academies like the Dynamo and around the world. And youth coaches, we all get it right or get on the same page, to make sure that one day, we can win a World Cup. And I’m sure that at all you guys and everybody that’s American will feel that joy,

You ask any person from Germany, from Brazil, Argentina, what it felt like for their country to win a World Cup, and everyone will say it was, I don’t want to cuss, but it was effing amazing. So for me, like, I’m looking forward to being a fan.

And I think just from the youth side, that has to be the goal. And the players that whoevers gonna be there at that time, and whenever we do hopefully win a World Cup one day, it starts with the youth, it starts with the kids. It starts with, the stuff that the Dynamo are doing with the U10s 11s to 12s, even younger 7s, 8s. So, hopefully, we all get that right and make sure that we keep the talent in our sport.

If you could go back, what would you tell younger Beasley, from Forth Wayne, Indiana about how far this game will take him?

It’s always funny when people ask me that question. And I say that because a lot of older guys say, ‘if I have known what I know now in football, as far as, intelligent, how you play this and that, you could be the next Ronaldo.’ You know, something like that.

Because obviously, when you get older, you learn the game, you’ve seen everything. Nothing surprises you anymore, really. You’re more intelligent, you read the game so much more. And as a kid, you just play. You look at the young kids in America, they’re going out there playing having fun, which I still do as well. But, you play with this no-fear attitude, and you don’t care who your playing.

You don’t even look at any film, if you’re playing against right-back or left-back, [you say] ‘I don’t care. I’m gonna do me, I’m gonna do me.’ As a young kid, that’s their attitude. And I love that. I love their freedom, and their creativity and how they think when on the field. When they’re good players.

But I don’t know what I would actually say, to my younger self. I mean, I’ve never would have thought my career would have went this way. Like I said, it’s been a great ride. I don’t take anything for granted. And I’ve loved every minute of it.

One thing I’ll say to my younger self is to enjoy every moment because it literally went like that [snaps fingers].

It just seemed like yesterday I was playing my first game of Chicago, and now it’s like, this is it. Where did the 20 years go? Where did it go? So I think I would say to myself, yeah, enjoy the game, enjoy every minute, enjoy every training session, because you never know when it’s going to end.

Throughout the season, there were a lot of pranks played on by your teammates, how good did it feel to get your teammates back? Can you tell us about the prank? And is that something you’ll miss besides just the on the field stuff, the off the field stuff with your teammates?

I mean, that’s what I’m gonna miss the most is those days, that stuff. Yeah, you’re going to miss the games, you’re going to miss, the day of the games, right before the game kicks off the butterflies you get in your stomach and then planning, all that stuff you’re going to miss.

But, you know, for me, the relationships that I have with my teammates, and every club, but, obviously more so here, because this is where I spent my last five and a half years here. These are the times that I’m going to miss. And I know, trust me, I know, I’m going to — Twitter’s a crazy place. So I know, you’re going to get, ‘Oh, if they would have spent more time on playing then we didn’t it would be funny,’ or ‘if they would concentrate more in a game or something.’ Lighten up, I mean, you still have to have fun.

Yes, we know that our season is frustrating, but, we’re human as well. And at the same time, I know, for a fact, because I’ve been in the locker room every day that these boys are serious. And when it’s time to play, when it’s time to put the work cap on, its time to play. Results come and go as they do. But the work and effort that the boys put in have always been there.

This year, we’re just missing a little bit of quality, in different aspects of the game, and I don’t like to use, luck, I don’t think luck had anything to do with it, we just missing some things throughout the season.

But for me the pranks and all that stuff, it was great, I had this one go on, for about two months ago. I was thinking of it for a long time. And I thought of this, it was after they got me on my birthday. They threw eggs at me and then flour, I literally looked like an omelet. And I had to change my clothes and everything.

Got 'em good, boys. Payback is sweet 💀@DaMarcusBeasley: 1 Everyone else: 1 pic.twitter.com/kvy1fkJveV — Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) October 5, 2019

So I was thinking, what can I do to get everyone back at the same time. You know, and obviously, I’ve seen NBA players and baseball players do that with one teammate or just, maybe just the rookies. I did the whole team. Everyone got the styrofoam peanuts in the car.

So I literally had about 100-110 bags in my house. And it was something I’ll never forget. I’m sure they’ll never forget it because my picture was on the dashboard. The Dynamo staff helped me out, so it was great. It’s just always great to have a laugh.

Family is very important to you. Can we expect that your whole family will be here for your last game?

Yeah, actually they start trickling in tomorrow. My whole family. I have probably about 45 people coming in. Family, friends. I mean, this is legitimate family, and friends that I played with in my club teams before, people from high school that I still speak to that. Real, friends, not just acquaintances.

Obviously, you know, my family, my parents, and all that stuff, cousins, aunts, uncles, my homies, my homeboys, my real homeboys, you know, they’re coming in. It’s gonna be a lot of people a lot of emotion. You know, like I said, I don’t know how I’m gonna react to i. I’m gonna try not to cry. But, I’m an open person, so if it happens, it happens. Just let the emotions run through me.

And, as I said, the most important thing for me is the game. And I’m going to try my hardest to keep my emotions to myself and concentrate on the game and play the game in a right way.

And like I said, for me, what a great way to go out winning against the Galaxy. And it’s funny that they were actually the first team that I got allocated to was LA. And I was only there for like, three months, but I wore the colors. I trained when it was, [Mauricio] Cienfuegos, Cobi [Jones], Alexi [Lalas], Robin Frasier, Greg Vanni, Carlos Hermosillo. Those type of players, I was still there in LA.

This is back in 1999. Man, that was a while ago. I can’t believe I just said that. But yeah, so it’s kind of cool to get to end my career with the team that I was allocated to. And yeah, what better way to go out with three points, a nice win, for us. And excited for the team to build on for next season.

If the U.S. team calls you and says they want to give a testimonial match, would you lace them back up? for one more game?

I mean, obviously, I’m gonna say yeah, but I don’t need that. And I just said this the other day. Yeah, I’m not looking for a testimonial match. That’s not what I’m about. If it happens, if it doesn’t. I’m fine with leaving it just like it is just now. Just like it is I’m fine with that.

I love them. I love my country, and I know how much love they have for me. How much respect they have for me to what I did for 16-17 years I played for the national team. They know that and they know they don’t need to say anything, do anything to heighten that and I don’t need to say anything to them. We both have that mutual respect.

Have you taken stock of what you’ve accomplished? And how proud are you of your career?

I’m very proud of some of the things that I’ve accomplished. But there’s just so many people to thank that helped me along the way. So it’s not just me, it’s not just about me. But there are some things that I see on Twitter now that people are, are reminding me of, things that I used to do in my career.

It’s cool to look back sometimes. I haven’t looked into my career as much as other people have, but yeah, I can really sit back and say, you know, I gave it my all. I gave football, the sport, everything I had. Like I said, making mistakes, doing things that I shouldn’t have done, bad games, whatever, all of that and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

So, I’m proud that I can still play this game at a high level, at this age and this stage of my career. And yeah, I’m sure after the whistle blows Sunday and I get a couple of weeks to relax and I’ll really look into my career and see some of the things that I did and be extra proud.

But at the moment, yeah, I’m proud and I know my parents are proud of me, as their son, not just the football player but just their son. And you know, for me, their approval is more than enough for me.