DAVID BECKHAM

Biography

David Robert Joseph Beckham was born May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, England. As a student in Essex, Beckham won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills Award at the age of 11, making his football talent evident at an early age.

david beckham debuts with united

After being signed as a trainee on July 8, 1991, the Bobby Charlton fan played as a substitute for Andrei Kanchelskis on September 23, 1992. The game against Brighton marked Beckham's debut as a United player.

Winner of the 1992 F.A. Youth Cup and runner-up a year later, Beckham was finally signed as a professional United player in January 1993. The 18-year-old soccer pro played in his first Champions League game and contributed a goal to the team's final win.

Despite his talent, Beckham only made his full debut in April 1995. He became a first team regular in the 1996-1997 season as a right midfielder. In 1996, not only did England get a taste of Beckham's crossing, free-kick and long-shot talent, but the player also won the F.A. Premier League, Cup and Charity Shield; all in the same year. 1996 was also the year Beckham made his international debut in a game against Moldova.

david beckham in the world cup

The same summer, Beckham scored his first international goal in the June 26, 1998, game against Colombia, although he made waves in a negative way. During the 1998 World Cup in France, Beckham kicked Diego Simeone lightly in the back of the leg, in retaliation for having been fouled by the player.

The tabloids later followed Beckham off the soccer field and onto his posh wedding to Spice Girl Victoria Adams in July 1999. In March of 2000, the couple welcomed their son Brooklyn Joseph to the world. Beckham's personal life has since overshadowed the negative media stories focusing on his bad temper, shifting to stories on to his wife, who is also a tabloid favorite.

david beckham plays in the world cup

In 1999, Beckham won another F.A. Cup, and came in second place in the European Ballon d'Or awards and as FIFA's World Player of the Year. He also won a Champions League title, an Intercontinental Cup and an English league title that same year.

But despite the honors, Beckham's temper had not improved; something that was evident after he received a red card for tackling a Necaxa player at the FIFA World Club Championships.

Beckham also made headlines after his Ferrari had apparently been sabotaged, and there were even attempts to kidnap Beckham's eldest son, Brooklyn. David and Victoria Beckham welcomed their second son, Romeo, into the world in September 2002.

At the 2002 World Cup, in another tense matchup with Argentina, Beckham redeemed himself in the eyes of English fans when he converted a penalty kick that eventually gave England the victory. The red card he received four years earlier had been forgiven.

david beckham goes to real madrid

In June 2003, it was announced that Real Madrid would pay a transfer fee of $41 million for David Beckham, who joined a team full of star footballers like Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldo.

In entertainment news, Beckham became an even bigger name when the sleeper hit of 2003, Bend It Like Beckham, paid homage to the soccer player in its title.

Beckham was next in the news for the wrong reasons. In 2005, The same year his wife gave birth to their third child, Cruz David, Beckham's former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, admitted that they had an affair, causing speculation that his marriage to Victoria Beckham was in trouble. Glamour model Emma Ryan also claimed to have had an affair with Beckham, but everything is back to normal in the Beckham household.

2005 was also the year this soccer star opened The David Beckham Academy in the UK and in Los Angeles. The Academy is a soccer school for boys and girls aged 8 to 15 that offers a variety of programs.

david beckham joins los angeles galaxy
In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid and join the Major League Soccer team, L.A. Galaxy. He signed a five-year contract reportedly worth $250 million.

David Beckham also profits from a multitude of million-dollar contracts and a line of cologne for men, David Beckham: Instinct.

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