David Beckham Biography

Also known as Becks, Golden Balls, and sometimes Spiceman, David Beckham began his soccer training at the age of fourteen and has never looked back. His impressive career has seen him breaking records to become one of Britain’s most well-known football players, and is considered by many to be the best in the nation. Off the field, he is a happily married father of three.

David Beckham was born on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, England. Growing up, David’s parents were avid football fans and Beckham soon inherited their enthusiasm for the sport. At the young age of fourteen, he was signed by the successful football club Manchester United to attend their youth training program. Because of his amazing performance, he soon received a contract from Manchester and began his professional career at the age of seventeen. In his 1996 season, he was praised for his impressive showing and was named by the Professional Footballers Association as Young Player of the Year. Beckham’s remaining years with Manchester United can be described as turbulent.

Fans seemed to have a love-hate relationship with Beckham, tending to overlook his achievements and to abuse him harshly for any errors. By 2001, however, fans would come to love Beckham and recognize his talent when he was promoted to team captain and scored a crucial goal in a World Cup qualifying match against Greece. That year he won the award for Sports Personality of the Year and finished runner-up as the World Player of the Year. His final contract with Manchester United, along with his endorsement deals, made him the highest paid player in the world at the time.