DAVID BECKHAM
As a schoolboy, David Beckham represented the county of Essex, had trials with Leyton Orient and attended Tottenham Hotspur's school of excellence. Beckham signed for Manchester United as a trainee on 8 July 1991 and was part of United's famous 1992 Youth Cup winning side. Making his League debut at home to Leeds United in April 1995, he fully established himsel
f the next year in United's 1995/96 Double winning season as a right midfielder after the departure of Andrei Kanchelskis.
David Beckham signed with the youth squad of Manchester United in July of 1991, at the tender age of sixteen. It took him about five years of playing with the youth squad, reserves and on loan (with Preston North End) until he got permanently established in the first Manchester United team.
However, it was that famous goal from the halfway line of the 1996/97 season at Wimbledon that pitched him into the spotlight that has only grown brighter ever since. Following that, he went on a run of amazing performances, scoring a fantastic selection of long-range goals to help United win the Premiership and himself the Young Player of the Year award. He also came second in the Player of the Year voting. This same season saw himearn his first senior cap for England, on 1 September 1996 against Moldova.
In the 1998 World Cup in France, David Beckham was included in the England squad. After being left out of the starting line-up for the first two matches, he scored a beautiful free-kick against Columbia and was hailed a national hero. No sooner than that, he became one of the most hated men in his country, when his infamous kick on Diego Simeone resulted in him being sent off. England was knocked out in the second round by Argentina, and Beckham was forced to seek shelter with his then Spice Girl wife Victoria who was touring the United States.
Yet, David Beckham fought back and proved all his critics wrong when in the first League game of the 1998/99 season against Leicester City, he curled in one of his trademark free-kicks to prevent defeat. He was an integral part of the Treble winning team and his efforts won him second place behind Rivaldo in the voting for both World and European Player of the Year.
During the 1999-2000 season, his high profile bust-up with Alex Ferguson led to speculations that he may leave the club. However, David Beckham picked up his fourth Premiership winner's medal, and was voted second best player in Europe and the World. Rivaldo of Barcelona and Brazil pipped him to both awards. David Beckham also finished runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, losing out to boxing champion Lennox Lewis
David Beckham attracted enough attention to get selected for England's World Cup team, by the 1997/8 season. At the World Cup finals David Beckam drew even more attention to himself by scoring from a free kicks against Colombia. His ejection (first of his career) in England's defeat by Argentina was later designated as the sole cause of his country's elimination.
David Beckham remained in the spotlight after marrying former Spice girl Victoria Adams in 1999. In the same year, David's career with Manchester reached its peak as his team won an unprecedented Treble of the Premiership, FA Cup and the European Cup.
Beckham performed consistently at Manchester, winning the Premiership once more in 2000/2001. The Euro 2000, however, was a disaster for both him and England. David Beckam failed to leave his mark in all of England's three matches.
David Beckham was selected as team captain at the 2002 World Cup, but still wasn't able to decide the outcome of games in the same way as did with Manchester. By 2001, controversy grew around David Beckham, overshadowing his generally solid but rarely spectacular performances on the pitch.
David Beckham's new haircuts and unverified disputes with United manager Ferguson caused far more interest to the public than his display on the field. Drawn in by the English soccer player's popularity, Spanish giant Real Madrid decided to sign him for the $40 Million.
During the summer of 2003, David Beckham moved to Spain in a transfer designed as a huge marketing scheme. Rumors claim that Real Madrid earned his transfer sum in a week of selling his official replica jersey.
As a player, David Beckham is a wide midfielder with a predominant right foot. He's extremely precise on curving the ball with the inside of his foot. That makes him very dangerous on crosses and long balls down the flank. Apart from this, he is rarely useful in defense and does not possess the quickness required for short passing in close quarters.
