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[h3]David Beckham was born in Leytonstone to parents Ted, a kitchen fitter, and Sandra, a hairdresser.[/h3]

Beckham’s parents were fanatical Manchester United supporters who frequently traveled to Old Trafford from London to attend the club’s home matches, so he naturally inherited their love of the team and chose football as his main sporting passion.

His love of football meant that his schooling took second place. In 1991 aged 16, he left school and signed up to Manchester United’s youth training scheme after his talent for the game had become evident. He had initially been on trial at Tottenham.

Beckham scored in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup final against Crystal Palace in 1992 and was part of a talented group of young players that included the likes of Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers. Fresh from collecting his first piece of silverware with the youth team, Beckham made his first appearance for United's senior side that year, as a substitute in a League Cup match against Brighton. He signed his first professional contract shortly afterwards.

United reached the final of the Youth Cup again the following year, with Beckham playing in the defeat to Leeds United.

During the 1994–95 season, Sir Alex Ferguson sent Beckham on loan to Preston North End for some first-team experience. It wasn’t until 2nd April, 1995 that he made his first Premier League appearance for Manchester United in a goalless draw against Leeds United.

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 in the media.

Beckham became a regular in the first team and helped them to win the Premiership and FA Cup double, scoring the winning goal in the semi-final against Chelsea and also taking the corner that Eric Cantona scored from in the FA Cup Final.

England manager Glenn Hoddle took a chance on Beckham by including him in the starting line up for a match against Moldova in September 1996. It was Beckham’s England debut and the team went on to win the game 3-0.
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United started the 1997-98 season well, yet their performance deteriorated when several players got injured and they subsequently finished the season in second place, behind Arsenal. Beckham had played in all of England's qualifying matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and was part of the England squad that traveled to France for the showpiece event. However Hoddle publicly accused Beckham of not concentrating on the tournament and omitted him the first two matches.

Beckham was picked for their third match against Colombia and scored in a 2–0 victory, which was his first goal for England. In the Second Round of the tournament, Beckham received a red card in the match against Argentina. The match finished in a draw and England were eliminated in a penalty shootout. Many supporters and journalists blamed Beckham for England's elimination and he became the target of criticism and abuse, including the hanging of an effigy outside a London pub and death threats.

In that same year, Beckham started dating Victoria Adams, better know as Posh Spice from The Spice Girls, and the couple were soon dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the media which has since stuck.

In the 1998-99 season, United enjoyed a tremendously successful year when they won the ‘treble’ of league, FA Cup and Champions League - a unique feat in English football. Beckham was pivotal in United's FA Cup final win over Newcastle United and for the 1999 Uefa Champions League Final against Bayern Munich, which led to him finishing as runner up to Rivaldo at the European Footballer of the Year and Fifa World Player of the Year awards in 1999.

Despite his achievements that year, he remained unpopular among some opposition fans and journalists, and was criticised after being sent off for a questionable challenge in Manchester United's World Club Championship match against Necaxa. It was suggested in the press that 'Posh' was a bad influence on him (they married at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland on 4th July 1999, four months after the birth of their first son, Brooklyn). However Sir Alex Ferguson publicly backed Beckham and he remained at the club.

The relationship between Ferguson and Beckham soon began to deteriorate though. In 2000, Beckham was given permission to miss training to look after his son Brooklyn, who was ill with gastroenteritis. Ferguson was livid however, when Victoria Beckham was photographed at a London Fashion Week event on the same night and claimed that Beckham would have been able to train if Victoria had looked after Brooklyn instead. Ferguson responded by fining Beckham the maximum amount that was permitted (two weeks' wages - which was £50,000 at that time) and dropped him for a crucial match against Leeds United.

The tension between the two culminated in a dressing room bust up that saw the manager kick a football boot at Beckham, resulting in a cut on his face. Rather than playing the incident down, the ever media hungry Beckham walked the streets of Manchester the next day showing off the stitches above his eye.
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On 15th November 2000, following Kevin Keegan's resignation as England manager, Beckham was made captain. He responded by helping England to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals, following a number of impressive performances that included a famous 5–1 victory over Germany in Munich.

Beckham's relationship with Alex Ferguson had completely deteriorated by the end of the 2002 season though and in 2003, Beckham agreed accepted a four-year contract with Real Madrid. Manchester United accepted a fee of £24.5m for the England captain.

Beckham’s Spanish career got off to the perfect start when he scored on his debut during Real’s Spanish Super Cup win against Real Mallorca. Sadly his first season at the club was tainted by claims that he’d had an affair with his former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos. Beckham denied the allegations but the usual tabloid frenzy ensued.

[quote]"It's been about winning the title for the last six months - and we've deserved it tonight. It's been an incredible experience - but all I remember now is the great things. Winning this tonight now puts to bed everything else."[/quote]

The Beckhams made it through the press intrusion though and managed to establish a happy life in Madrid with their third son Cruz being born on 20th February, 2005 in the Spanish capital. (Their second son, Romeo, was born 1st September, 2002.)

At the start of the 2006-2007 season, Beckham was reduced to a bit-part role under new coach Fabio Capello and he subsequently stalled on contract renewal talks. On 11th January Beckham announced he had signed a five-year deal with MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy worth $250 million.

Capello responded by saying the midfielder would not play for Real again and Beckham spent the next month watching the team playing from the sidelines. “He (Beckham) has always been a great professional, but a player who has such an important contract with another club, we cannot count on him. He is not going to play any more”, Capello commented.

However, Beckham continued to train hard and eventually regained his place for Real and England. Indeed his Real Madrid career finished in glory as the team pipped Barcelona for the Spanish league title. This ended the team's four-year trophy drought and was a suitably happy ending for Beckham in Spain.

The 32-year-old was delighted his family could experience the occasion at the Bernabeu. He added: "It's amazing to have my family here. They have been with me for four years in Spain and they've been through the ups and downs - and they've felt the euphoria tonight. It meant the world to have everyone that supported me throughout my career - my whole family, my wife, my mum and dad, my sister and children. It's incredible."

The move to Hollywood has seen Posh and Becks enter the celebrity A-List, indeed Beckham cites an hour and a half long telephone conversation with [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/824:0/Tom_Cruise.htm]Tom Cruise[/urlnew] as having a huge influence on his decision to join LA Galaxy.

So, the Beckhams are heading state-side for a new chapter of what has already been one of the most interesting stories in modern day soccer. But, will Beckham be out of this galaxy or will Posh turn out to be too classless for LA?
David Beckham biography



- In 2006, Beckham insured himself for £100 million - one of the most expensive policies in the world.

- In February 2007, it was revealed that Beckham has ataxophobia - a fear of disorder.

- Beckham was so upset at England being knocked out of the 2006 World Cup, Victoria bought him a belt worth $24,300. The belt is made of titanium and white gold and adjusts automatically to fit your waist after a big meal. There are only 88 belts in existence.

- In November 2006, Victoria and Beckham revealed their son, Romeo, has epilepsy. Since Romeo's illness was revealed nearly all the world's major paparazzi agencies have pledged not to photograph the child to ensure his safety, after being told flashing lights could send him into a fit.

- Beckham's jersey number is 23.

- Beckham is right-footed.

- Beckham's primary position is Right Midfielder.

- Beckham's personal sponsors include Adidas, Police Sunglasses, Castrol, TBC, Marks and Spencer, Tsubasa Systems, Meiji, Upper Deck, Pepsi, and Vodafone

- Beckham is said to be one of the largest grassroots sports initiatives in the UK, Beckham's soccer academy is part of the multi-million pound redevelopment of the Dome site on the Greenwich Peninsula..

- The film Bend it Like Beckham refers to Beckham. The main character has posters of him covering her room.

- Sir Alex Ferguson once said "David Beckham is Britain's finest striker of a football not because of God-given talent but because he practises with a relentless application that the vast majority of less gifted players wouldn't contemplate."

- In the summer of 2003, Beckham was made an Officer in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in Queen Elizabeth II's honours list.

- Beckham is, according to the Google search engine, the most famous sports personality in the world.
David Beckham biography




David Beckham biography

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