David Robert Joseph Beckham, an English former football player born on
May 2, 1975 at Leytonstone,
London, United Kingdom. He
has played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and Milan, Los
Angeles Galaxy, and French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and the England
national team for which he holds the appearance record for an outfield player,
and also the first English player to win league titles in four countries.
Beckham
was born at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, London, England.
He is the son of Sandra Georgina and David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham.
His parents were fanatical Manchester United supporters who would frequently
travel to Old Trafford from. David inherited his parents' love of Manchester United,
and his main sporting passion was football. He attended one of Bobby Charlton's
football schools in Manchester and won the chance to take part in a training
session at FC Barcelona, as part of a talent competition. He played for a local
youth team called the Ridgeway Rovers – coached by his father, Stuart
Underwood and Steve Kirby.
Beckham's
professional career began with Manchester United, making his first-team debut
in 1992 aged 17. With United, Beckham won the Premier League title six times,
the FA Cup twice and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He then played four
seasons with Real Madrid, winning the La Liga championship in his
final season with the club. In July 2007 Beckham signed a five-year contract
with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy. While a Galaxy player, he
spent two loan spells in Italy with AC Milan in 2009 and 2010.
In
international football, Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996, at
the age of 21. He was captain for six years during which he played 58 times. He
has 115 career appearances to date. He announced his intention to retire at the
end of the 2012–13 Ligue 1 season on 16 May 2013, and on 18 May 2013, played
what was likely his final game of his storied 20-year career.
