Biography
Childhood and
early career
Beckham was born in
Leytonstone, London, England the son of David Edward
Alan "Ted" Beckham, a kitchen fitter and Manchester
United fan, and Sandra Georgina West, a hairdresser.
He regularly played football in Ridgeway Park,
Chingford as a child. His maternal grandfather,
Joseph West, is Jewish and Beckham has spoken of the
influence the religion has had on him but is not
known to practice Judaism or any other faith, though
he stated in his book Both Feet on the Ground
that growing up he always attended church with his
parents and sisters.
His parents were fanatical Manchester United supporters who would frequently travel to Old Trafford from London to attend Manchester United's home matches. David inherited his parents' love of Manchester United and his main sporting passion was football. He attended one of Bobby Charlton's football schools in Manchester and won the chance to take part in a training session at FC Barcelona, as part of a talent competition. As a child he played for a local youth team called the Ridgeway Rovers coached by his father, Stuart Underwood and Steve Kirby.
He was Manchester United's mascot for a match against West Ham United in 1986. Young Beckham had trials with his local club, Leyton Orient, and attended Tottenham Hotspur's, which was the first club he played for, school of excellence. He also attended Bradenton Preparatory Academy, but signed schoolboy forms at Manchester United on his fourteenth birthday, and subsequently signed a Youth Training Scheme contract on 8 July 1991.
He was part of an exceptionally talented group of young players at the club who guided the club to win the FA Youth Cup in May 1992, with Beckham scoring in the second leg of the final against Crystal Palace. He made his first appearance for United's first-team that year, as a substitute in a League Cup match against the glorious Brighton & Hove Albion, and signed his first professional contract shortly afterwards. United reached the final of the Youth Cup again the following year, with Beckham playing in their defeat by Leeds United, and he won another medal in 1994 when the club's reserve team won their league.
He went to Preston North End on loan in the 199495 season to get some first team experience, then made his first Premier League appearance for Manchester United on 2 April 1995, in a goalless draw against Leeds United.
Becoming a first-team
player
United manager Alex Ferguson had a great deal of confidence in the club's young players. When three of his first-team players left the club at the end of the 1994-95 season, his decision to let youth team players replace them instead of buying players from other clubs, drew a great deal of criticism. The criticism increased when United started the season with a 31 defeat at Aston Villa with Beckham scoring United's only goal of the game; however, United won their next five matches and the young players performed well. Beckham became a regular player on the team and helped them to win the Premiership and FA Cup double that season, scoring the winner in the semi-final against Chelsea and also taking the corner that Éric Cantona scored from in the FA Cup Final. Still, Beckham's form was not good enough to break into the England squad before Euro 96.
In August 1996, Beckham became something of a household name when he scored a spectacular goal in a match against Wimbledon. With United ahead 20, Beckham noticed that Wimbledon's goalkeeper Neil Sullivan was standing a long way out of his goal, and hit a shot from the halfway line that floated over the goalkeeper and into the net. Beckham was frequently mentioned in the press, and he made his first appearance for the England national football team on 1 September 1996, in a World Cup qualifying match against Moldova. He became an automatic first-choice player at United during the 1996-97 season, helping them to retain the Premier League championship, and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year by his peers.
United
started the 1997-98 season well, but
their performance deteriorated when
several players got injured. They
finished the season in second place,
behind Arsenal.
World Cup 1998
Beckham had played in all of England's qualifying matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and was part of the England squad at the World Cup finals in France, but the team's manager Glenn Hoddle publicly accused him of not concentrating on the tournament, and he did not start in either of England's first two matches. He was picked for their third match against Colombia and scored from a long-range free kick in a 20 victory, which was his first goal for England.
In the Second Round
(last 16) of that
competition, he
received a red card
in England's match
against Argentina.
Beckham, after
having been fouled
by Diego Simeone,
appeared to kick out
at Diego Simeone,
striking him on the
calf. Simeone later
admitted to trying
to get Beckham sent
off by over-reacting
to the kick and
then, along with
other members of his
team, urging the
referee to send
Beckham off.
The match finished
in a draw and
England were
eliminated in a
penalty shootout.
Many supporters and
journalists blamed
him for England's
elimination and he
became the target of
criticism and abuse,
including the
hanging of an effigy
outside a London
pub, and the
Daily Mirror
printing a dartboard
with a picture of
him centred on the
bullseye. Beckham
also received death
threats after the
World Cup and the
incident is also the
topic for his Adidas
advert.
1998-99 season (the Treble)
In the 1998-99 season, he was part of the United team that won the treble Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, a unique feat in English football. There had been speculation that the criticism that he had received after being sent off in the World Cup would lead to him leaving England, but he decided to stay at Manchester United.
Throughout the season, Beckham was jeered by opposition supporters whenever he touched the ball, but he consistently played well and his crossing provided a significant number of goals for United's forwards Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole. United's supporters had mostly forgiven him for the problems he'd had with England, and were frequently heard to chant "Argentina" in response to the other supporters' taunts.
To ensure they would win the league championship, United needed to win their final league match of the season, at home to Tottenham Hotspur, but Tottenham took an early lead in the match. Beckham scored the equaliser and United went on to win the match and the league.
Beckham played
centre-midfield in
United's FA Cup
final win over
Newcastle United and
for the 1999 UEFA
Champions League
Final against
Bayern Munich, since
United's first
string
centre-midfielders
were suspended for
the match. United
were losing the
match 1 to 0 at the
end of normal time,
but won the trophy
by scoring two goals
in injury time. Both
of the goals came
from corners taken
by Beckham. Those
kicks, coupled with
great performances
over the rest of the
season, led to him
finishing runner up
to
Rivaldo
for 1999's European
Footballer of the
Year and FIFA World
Player of the Year
awards.
1999-2000 season
Despite Beckham's achievements in the 1998-99 season, he was still unpopular among some opposition fans and journalists, and he was criticised after being sent off for a deliberate foul in Manchester United's World Club Championship match against Necaxa. It was suggested in the press that his wife was a bad influence on him, and that it might be in United's interests to sell him, but his manager publicly backed him and he stayed at the club.
The relationship
between Ferguson and
Beckham began to
deteriorate,
possibly as a result
of Beckham's fame
and commitments away
from football. In
2000, Beckham was
given permission to
miss training to
look after his son
Brooklyn, who had
gastroenteritis, but
Ferguson was furious
when Victoria
Beckham was
photographed at a
London Fashion Week
event on the same
night, claiming that
Beckham would have
been able to train
if Victoria had
looked after
Brooklyn that day.
He responded by
fining Beckham the
maximum amount that
was permitted (two
weeks' wages then
£50,000) and
dropping him for a
crucial match
against United's
rivals Leeds United.
He later criticised
Beckham for this in
his autobiography,
claiming he hadn't
been "fair to his
team mates". Beckham
had a good season
for his club,
though, and helped
United to win the
Premier League by a
record margin.
Winning over the England fans
The abuse that Beckham was receiving from English supporters peaked during England's 32 defeat by Portugal in Euro 2000, a match where Beckham had two assists, when a group of England supporters taunted him throughout the match. Beckham responded with a one-fingered gesture and, while the gesture attracted some criticism, many of the newspapers that had previously encouraged his vilification asked their readers to stop abusing him.
On 15
November 2000, following Kevin
Keegan's resignation as England
manager in October, Beckham was
promoted to team captain by the
caretaker manager Peter Taylor, and
then kept the role under new manager
Sven-Göran Eriksson. He helped
England to qualify for the 2002 FIFA
World Cup Finals, with their
performances including an impressive
51 victory over Germany in Munich.
The final step in Beckham's
conversion from villain to hero
happened in England's 22 draw
against Greece on 6 October 2001.
England needed to win or draw the
match in order to qualify outright
for the World Cup, but were losing
21 with little time remaining. The
rest of the England team were
playing relatively poorly, and it
was Beckham's inspirational
performance that lifted his
teammates. When Teddy Sheringham was
fouled some eight yards outside the
Greek penalty area, England were
awarded a free-kick and Beckham
ensured England's qualification with
a curling strike of the kind that
had become his trademark. Shortly
afterwards, he was voted the BBC
Sports Personality of the Year for
2001. He once again finished
runner-up, to Luís Figo
of Portugal, for the FIFA World
Player of the Year award.
Metatarsal injury
On 10 April
2002, Beckham was injured during a
Champions League match against
Deportivo La Coruña, breaking the
second metatarsal bone in his left
foot. There was speculation in the
British media that the injury might
have been caused deliberately, as
the player who had injured Beckham
was Argentinian Aldo Duscher, and
England and Argentina were due to
meet in that year's World Cup. The
injury prevented Beckham from
playing for United for the rest of
the season, but he signed a
three-year contract in May,
following months of negotiations
with the club, mostly concerning
extra payments for his image rights.
The income from his new contract,
and his many endorsement deals, made
him the highest-paid player in the
world at the time.
World Cup 2002 and final season at United
He was partially fit by the time of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and played in the first match against Sweden. Beckham scored the winning goal of the match against Argentina with a penalty, causing Argentina to fail to qualify for the knockout stage. England were knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Brazil. The following month, at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Beckham escorted Kirsty Howard as she presented the Jubilee Baton to the Queen.
Following
an injury early in the 2002-03
season, Beckham was unable to regain
his place on the Manchester United
team, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær
having replaced him on the right
side of midfield. His relationship
with his manager deteriorated
further on 15 February 2003 when, in
the changing room following a defeat
to Arsenal, Sir Alex Ferguson kicked
a football boot that struck Beckham
over the eye, causing a cut that
required stitches. The incident led
to a great deal of transfer
speculation involving Beckham, with
bookmakers offering odds on whether
he or Ferguson would be first to
leave the club.
Although the team had started the
season badly, their results improved
greatly from December onwards and
they won the league. He was still a
first-choice player for England,
however, and he was awarded an
OBE
for services to football on 13 June.
Real Madrid
Manchester United had been keen to sell Beckham to Barcelona but he refused to go there, instead signing a four-year contract with Real Madrid, worth a potential 35 million. The transfer was completed on 1 July and made him the third Englishman to play for the club after Laurie Cunningham and Steve McManaman. It was speculated that Real's desire to sign him came from the merchandising opportunities he would bring as well as from his football ability. For example, Real Madrid shirts bearing his name and number sold out in Madrid on the day his transfer was completed and the club were expected to receive 624,000 for the sale of the shirts. Although Beckham had worn the number seven shirt for Manchester United and England, he was unable to wear it at Madrid as Raúl had the right to wear it written into his contract. He decided to wear number 23 instead, citing his admiration of basketball player Michael Jordan, who also wore the number 23 shirt, as the reason behind his decision.
First
season 2003-04
Real Madrid
finished the season in a
disappointing fourth place, and were
knocked out of the UEFA Champions
League at the quarter-final stage.
But, Beckham immediately became a
favourite with the Real Madrid
supporters, scoring five times in
his first 16 matches, but the team,
whose club president expected them
to win either the Spanish league or
the Champions League each season,
was not performing well. He had
further problems in April 2004, when
the British tabloid
News of the
World
carried claims by his former
personal assistant Rebecca Loos that
he and Loos had had an extramarital
affair. A week later, the
Malaysian-born Australian model
Sarah Marbeck claimed that she had
slept with Beckham on two occasions.
Beckham dismissed both accusations
as "ludicrous".
Euro 2004
Beckham played in
all of England's
matches at Euro
2004, but the
tournament was a
disappointment for
him. He had a
penalty saved in
England's 2-1 defeat
to France and badly
missed another in a
penalty shootout in
the quarter final
against Portugal.
England lost the
shootout and went
out of the
competition.
Second season, 2004-05
In July 2004, while Beckham was in pre-season training in Spain, an intruder scaled a wall at the Beckhams' home while carrying a can of petrol. Victoria and their children were in the house at the time, but security guards apprehended the man before he reached the house. Beckham made more headlines on 9 October 2004 when he admitted intentionally fouling Ben Thatcher in an England match against Wales in order to get himself booked. Beckham was due to receive a one-match suspension for his next caution, and had picked up an injury which he knew would keep him out of England's next match, so he deliberately fouled Thatcher in order to serve his suspension in a match that he would have had to miss anyway. The Football Association asked Beckham for an explanation of his actions and he admitted that he had "made a mistake" and apologised.
Beckham became a
UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador in
January 2005 and was
involved in
promoting London's
successful bid for
the 2012 Olympic
Games.
Third season, 2005-06
Real Madrid had
another
disappointing
season, finishing
second to Barcelona
(with a 12 point
gap) in the La Liga
and only reaching
the last sixteen in
the Champions League
after losing to
Arsenal by a goal.
Although there is
the notable fact
that Beckham led La
Liga in assists for
the season.
In
October
2005,
Beckham's
sending
off
against
Austria
made
him
the
first
ever
England
captain
to
be
sent
off
and
the
first
(and
only)
player
to
be
sent
off
twice
while
playing
for
England.
He
captained
England
for
the
50th
time
in a
friendly
international
against
Argentina
the
following
month.
He
was
sent
off
again
shortly
afterwards,
this
time
in a
league
match
for
Real
Madrid
against
Valencia
CF.
Having
received
a
yellow
card,
he
appeared
to
sarcastically
applaud
the
referee
and
was
given
a
second
yellow
card,
causing
an
automatic
dismissal,
although
the
suspension
was
cancelled
on
appeal
two
days
later.
He
was
sent
off
for
the
third
time
that
season
on
3
December
2005
in a
league
match
against
Getafe.
During
the
season,
Beckham
established
football
academies
in
Los
Angeles
and
east
London
and
he
was
named
a
judge
for
the
2006
British
Book
Awards.
Fourth season, 2006-07
Real Madrid won their first Spanish La Liga title in 3 years because of their superior head-to-head record against Barcelona, giving Beckham his first title since he joined Real Madrid. Intially out of favour with manager Fabio Capello, Beckham started only a few games at the beginnning of the season, as Jose Antonio Reyes was normally preferred on the right wing. In the first nine matches Beckham started, Real lost seven.
On 10 January 2007, after prolonged contract negotiations, Real Madrid's sporting director Predrag Mijatović announced that Beckham would not remain at Real Madrid after the end of the season. However, he later claimed that he was mistranslated and that he actually said that Beckham's contract had not been renewed yet.
On 11 January 2007 Beckham announced that he had signed a five-year deal to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from 1 July 2007. The deal is worth $250 million over the 5 years. On 13 January 2007 Fabio Capello said that Beckham had played his last game for Real Madrid, although he would continue to train with the team. Capello back-tracked on that statement and Beckham rejoined the team for their match against Real Sociedad on 10 February 2007 he scored and Real Madrid won. However the next game at home against Real Betis ended up with Beckham being shown a straight red card for a professional foul in the 90th minute.But in the next UEFA Champions League match vs Bayern Munich, he carried out two assists to help Real Madrid win by 3-2. This match marked his final appearance in the UEFA Champions League as Real Madrid were knocked out of the competition (by the away goals rule) at the conclusion of their second leg away tie in Munich on 7 March 2007. He has made a total of 103 appearances in the Champions League, the third highest number of any player at the time.
After his good performances for Real Madrid, Steve McClaren announced Beckham could be recalled for England's two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Andorra. However on 4 March 2007 Beckham damaged a ligament in his right knee during a game between Real Madrid and Getafe CF. Following a cross his momentum carried him into an advertising boarding along the touchline causing him to go down. On 21 April 2007 he marked his return from injury by coming off the bench to set up the winning goal for Sergio Ramos in a 2-1 victory over Valencia.
On 26 May 2007, Steve McClaren announced that Beckham would be recalled to the England squad for the first time since relinquishing the captaincy after England's exit from the 2006 World Cup. Beckham started against Brazil in England's first match at the new Wembley and put in a positive performance and had a first half free-kick just brush the post. However in the second half he set up England's goal as he sent in a beautifully weighted cross to be converted by captain John Terry. It looked as though England would claim victory over Brazil however newcomer Diego equalised in the dying seconds. In next match vs Estonia, Beckham sent two trademark assists for John Terry and Peter Crouch, helping England to win 3-0 in the match.
On 17 June 2007, the last day of the La Liga season, Beckham was passed fit to start in his last match for the club, a 3-1 win over Mallorca, which saw them clinch the title from Barcelona. Although both finished level on points, Madrid took the title because of their superior head-to-head record, capping a remarkable six-month turnaround for Beckham.
World
Cup
2006
During the FIFA World Cup 2006, England were seen as potential winners by many, but since the start of the competition the team had several slow paced matches and Beckham's performance was criticised by the majority of the press and public. However, many still considered Beckham's contribution to England important as the team progressed to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
In England's opening game against Paraguay on 10 June 2006 Beckham's free kick led to an own-goal by Carlos Gamarra, and England won 1-0. In England's next match, played against Trinidad and Tobago on 15 June 2006, Beckham's cross in the 83rd minute led to Peter Crouch's goal which put England ahead 1-0. Beckham gave another assist to Steven Gerrard. In the end they won 2-0. He was named Man-of-the-Match by tournament sponsor Budweiser for this game. The English media criticised Beckham's performance in England's final Group B match against Sweden on 20 June 2006, citing his apparent inability to take the ball around players as an increasing hindrance to England's chances of winning the World Cup.
During England's second round match against Ecuador, Beckham scored from a free kick in the 59th minute, becoming the first ever English player to score in three World Cups, and giving England a 1-0 victory and a place in the quarter-finals. He was sick before the game and vomited several times as a result of dehydration and illness after he scored the winning goal.
In the quarter finals stage of the World Cup against Portugal, Beckham was substituted following an injury shortly after half time and the England team went on to lose the match on penalties (3-1), the scores having been 0-0 after extra time. After his substitution, Beckham was visibly shaken and emotional for not being able to play, being in tears at one point.
A day after England were knocked out of the World Cup, an emotional Beckham made a statement in a news conference saying that he had stepped down as England captain, saying, "It has been an honour and privilege to captain my country but, having been captain for 58 of my 95 games, I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter a new era under Steve McClaren". Note that Beckham had actually won 94 caps up to that point, an error on his part. He was then succeeded by Chelsea captain John Terry.
Having stepped down as captain after the World Cup, Beckham was dropped completely from the England national team selected by new coach Steve McClaren on 11 August 2006. McClaren claimed that he was "looking to go in a different direction" with the team, and that Beckham "wasn't included within that". McClaren said Beckham could be recalled in future. Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kieran Richardson and the World Cup alternative to Beckham Aaron Lennon were all included, although McClaren eventually opted to employ Steven Gerrard in that role.
There was talk that McClaren could recall Beckham after Aaron Lennon sustained an injury in early September and Owen Hargreaves subsequently broke his leg. However despite pressure from the media and high profile sports figures Bobby Robson, Glenn Hoddle, Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen all saying he should be in the England team, McClaren did not recall Beckham. In December, 2006, McClaren suggested that Steven Gerrard had supplanted Beckham's role in the team: "We all know about David Beckham and his delivery from the right-hand side. But Stevie's set-plays and crosses from the right are as good as anybody in the world."
England recall
On
26
May
2007
David
Beckham
was
recalled
to
the
national
team
for
the
first
time
since
the
2006
World
Cup
after
some
excellent
performances
for
Real
Madrid
and
after
England's
poor
form
during
qualification
for
Euro
2008.
Beckham's
comeback
game
was
against
Brazil
in a
friendly
international,
England's
first
game
at
the
rebuilt
Wembley
Stadium,
on
June
1,
2007,
where
Beckham
set
up
his
successor
as
England
captain
John
Terry
with
a
trademark
cross
from
a
free
kick.
Beckham
also
started
England's
Euro
2008
qualifier
against
Estonia,
a
match
that
England
won
30.
Beckham
assisted
three
of
England's
total
of
four
goals
in
those
two
games.He
has
stated
his
intent
to
continue
to
play
for
England
after
his
move
to
the
MLS.
The
LA
Galaxy
general
manager
Alexi
Lalas
stated
he
would
not
stand
in
the
way
of a
player
representing
his
country,
and
would
not
stop
Beckham
from
doing
so,
but
that
they
would
have
to
be
appropriate
games.
However,
FIFA
have
said
that
if
Beckham
is
called
up
for
any
England
match,
Galaxy
must
release
him
as
per
FIFA
rules.
L.A. Galaxy and U.S. Soccer
It was confirmed on 11 January 2007 that David Beckham would be leaving Real Madrid to join MLS team Los Angeles Galaxy on a 5 year deal worth $250 million that will see Beckham earn up to $10 million a year in direct salary, but with endorsements and profit-sharing, Beckham could earn up to $50 million a year and earning about 90 dollars every second on the field. Beckham said, "After considering several options to stay in Madrid or join other major British and European teams, I have decided to join LA Galaxy."
On 12 January 2007, Beckham's official press conference was held, via satellite from Madrid, in conjunction with the 2007 MLS SuperDraft in Indianapolis. All MLS announcements concerning Beckham's signing and his press conference (as well as the Super Draft) were a part of the NSCAA National Soccer Coaches Association of America annual convention. At the press conference, Beckham told reporters "I'm coming there not to be a superstar. I'm coming there to be part of the team, to work hard and to hopefully win things. With me, it's about football. I'm coming there to make a difference. I'm coming there to play football... I'm not saying me coming over to the States is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. That would be difficult to achieve. Baseball, basketball, American football, they've been around. But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I could make a difference."
On 14 January 2007, when a new "SuperLiga" was announced for a new North American championship, it was reported that Beckham could make his Galaxy debut during that tournament.
On 17 January 2007, the U.S. publication Sports Illustrated released a detailed report on the blockbuster contract and the economics behind it.
On 10 June 2007, after several months when Beckham had been instrumental in Real's push for the La Liga title, Real Madrid president Ramσn Calderσn revealed that they still hoped to keep Beckham and claimed that a clause existed in the deal Beckham signed with LA Galaxy that Real could still keep him if Beckham wished to stay.. However, Beckham's agent stated that Beckham intended to honor the contract and LA Galaxy president and general manager Alexi Lalas stated that there was no escape clause.
On 17 June 2007, he played his final match with Real Madrid, and although he limped off the field and was replaced, his sub made two goals and the team won the 2007 La Liga title, their first since Beckham had signed with them.
On 26 June
2007, his first major U.S. ad
campaign since finishing with Real
Madrid made its debut via the web.
Titled "Futbol Meets Football", it
pairs him with NFL star Reggie Bush
in a 13-week television, radio, and
online blitz by
Adidas.
On 28 June 2007, Major League Soccer announced that he would be introduced as an LA Galaxy player officially to the press and to fans on 13 July.
