David Beckham is known for many things today, but he first rose to fame as a football player. With his powerful right foot, passing ability and characteristic curling free kicks, he established himself as one of the greatest stars in British football. During his 20-year career, he won 19 major trophies for his clubs and appeared in 115 games for England. In 2004, Pelé named Beckham one of the 100 greatest living players.
Robben in the Real Madrid shirt.
Biography
birth of a star
David Beckham was born on May 2, 1975, the second child of Sandra Georgina and David Edward Alan Beckham, and grew up in a part of East London called Leytonstone. He played soccer from an early age, passionate about the sport, he dreamed of being a professional as an adult.
After beginning his youth career with local Ridgeway Rovers, Beckham joined Manchester United in 1991. He made his senior team debut in 1992, around the same time as the rest of Fergie’s famous rookies. he soon became a starter at the right midfield position, claiming no. 7 hughes brand shirt. In the first Premier League match of 1996 against Wimbledon, Beckham became a household name by lobbing from the halfway line.
Beckham stayed with United until 2003, helping them win six Premier League titles and one European Cup. He would play more games in the United jersey (386) than in any other, however, due to his increasingly glamorous lifestyle, his relationship with manager Alex Ferguson gradually deteriorated. little bit. Problems came to a head once Ferguson kicked a boot that caught Beckham in the eye, causing a cut that needed stitching. Unable to mend their relationship, United sold Beckham to Real Madrid for €37 million.
international incidents
On the international stage, Beckham had another series of controversies to worry about. He made his tournament debut at the 1998 World Cup, although manager Glen Hoddle initially used him as a substitute. In the Round of 16 match against Argentina, Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone while he was lying on the pitch. England eventually lost the match on penalties, and Beckham became the main target of abuse from fans and media alike.
For Euro 2000, things did not improve. Despite getting two assists in a 2–3 loss to Portugal in the tournament opener, Beckham was taunted by fans throughout the match, and he eventually responded by raising the middle finger. Although this really improved his image in the media, England were eliminated in the group stage. For the 2002 World Cup, Beckham was promoted to team captain, but England were unable to overcome Brazil in the quarter-finals.
galactic
in real, beckham joined ronaldo, zidane, figo and raύl in a squad known as galácticos. However, despite all the talent displayed, Real struggled to win any trophies in Beckham’s first three seasons with the club. Despite this lack of team success, Beckham put in solid performances and led the league in assists in 2005.
This turbulent period culminated in a shock loss to Arsenal in the 2006 Champions League Round of 16. Following this loss, Florentino Pérez resigned from the presidency and Real began to move away from the galactic era. Under new manager Fabio Capello, Beckham was initially out of favour. however, he returned in the second part of the season, helping Real to its first league title in four years.
Internationally, Beckham’s last major tournament was the 2006 World Cup. He played an important role in leading England to the quarter-finals, scoring a free-kick goal in the round of 16 against Ecuador. Before the quarter-final match against Portugal, he suffered from illness and dehydration, and was substituted shortly after the break. Portugal won the match on penalties. A day later, Beckham announced that he was stepping down as team captain.
from Los Angeles to Paris
Having already signed a new contract with Los Angeles Galaxy during his final season with Real, Beckham joined the MLS to global fanfare. The media frenzy allowed the Galaxy to make money off the new signing via various sponsorships, and Beckham himself immediately became the team’s captain. He spent the following five seasons with the Galaxy, helping them claim two MLS Cups in 2011 and 2012.
Between MLS seasons, Beckham continued to try to stay in shape for the national team. This resulted in two separate loans to Milan in 2009 and 2010, the latter of which saw him pick up an injury and miss out on the 2010 World Cup and much of the following season for the Galaxy. In 2013, Beckham signed a five-month deal with Paris Saint-Germain, helping them claim a Ligue 1 title. At the end of the season, he retired from football.
by martin wahl