David Beckham

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Lore & Background

David Beckham's professional club career began with Manchester United, where he made his first-team debut in 1992 at age 17. With United, he won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, the FA Charity Shield twice, the Intercontinental Cup, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He then played four seasons with Real Madrid, winning the La Liga title in his final season with the club. In July 2007, Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy; it was widely cited as a historic transfer for US football. While a Galaxy player, he spent two loan spells in Italy with AC Milan in 2009 and 2010, and became the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League games. He returned to the Galaxy and won the MLS Cup in 2011 and 2012. Following a four-month stint at Paris Saint-Germain, he retired in May 2013 after a 21-year career.

In Their Own Story

Beckham was born on 2 May 1975 at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, London, England. He is the son of Sandra Georgina (née West), a hairdresser, and David Edward Alan 'Ted' Beckham, a kitchen fitter. He was given the middle name Robert in honour of Bobby Charlton, his father's favourite footballer. His parents were fanatical Manchester United supporters who frequently travelled 200 miles (322 km) to Old Trafford from London to attend the team's home matches. Beckham attended one of Bobby Charlton's Soccer Schools in Manchester and won the chance to take part in a training session with Barcelona, as part of a talent competition. He played for a local youth team called Ridgeway Rovers, which was coached by his father. Beckham was a Manchester United mascot for a match against West Ham United in 1986. He signed schoolboy forms at Manchester United on his 14th birthday, and subsequently signed a Youth Training Scheme contract on 8 July 1991.

Reader's Guide

Having signed for Manchester United as a trainee on 8 July 1991, Beckham was part of a group of young players, including Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who were coached by Eric Harrison, and helped the club win the FA Youth Cup in May 1992. Beckham scored Manchester United's second goal in the 30th minute of their 3–1 first-leg win of the final against Crystal Palace on 14 April 1992. Beckham made his first-team debut on 23 September 1992, as a substitute for Andrei Kanchelskis in a League Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion. He signed as a professional on 23 January 1993. On 7 December 1994, Beckham made his UEFA Champions League debut, scoring a goal in a 4–0 victory at home to Galatasaray. Beckham then went to Preston North End, on loan for part of the 1994–95 season, scoring two goals in five appearances, notably directly from a corner kick. He made his Premier League debut for Manchester United on 2 April 1995 in a goalless draw against Leeds United. Beckham swiftly established himself as United's right-sided midfielder and helped them to win the Premier League title and FA Cup double that season, scoring the winner in the semi-final against Chelsea and also providing the corner from which Eric Cantona scored in the FA Cup Final.

Did You Know?

• Beckham is the only English player to have won a league title in four different countries: England, France, Spain, and the United States.
• He was runner-up in the Ballon d'Or in 1999, and twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year (1999 and 2001).
• Beckham was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021.
• He has been a UNICEF ambassador since 2005, and in 2015 he launched 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund.
• Beckham's maternal grandfather was Jewish; Beckham has referred to himself as 'half Jewish'.