David Beckham

David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is
also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English
national team from 2000 to 2009, scored in three different FIFA World
Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England, Madrid,
Spain, and Milan, Italy; he also won the MLS Cup playing for Los
Angeles Galaxy in 2011 and 2012.He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone,
East London, England, to Sandra Georgina (West), a hairdresser, and David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham, a kitchen fitter. Beckham's maternal grandfather was Jewish, and David has mentioned the religion as an influence; he wears a tattoo
written in Hebrew from the 'Song of Songs' in the Hebrew Bible (Old
Testament), albeit he is not known to practice Judaism or any other
faith. Beckham has always played in long sleeve shirts to cover up his
tattoos in consideration of others who may feel uncomfortable due to
their beliefs.He was brought up by his parents, supporters of Manchester United,
attended Bobby Charlton's football school
in Manchester, and won a spot in a training session at FC Barcelona as
a child. In 1986 he was a Manchester United's mascot for a match
against West Ham United. From 1992 - 2003 Beckham made almost 400
appearances for Manchester United and scored 85 goals, although his
official record counts only 62 goals in 265 official senior team's
matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup he played all of England's
qualifying matches and scored in several important victories. He
received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against
Argentina, albeit his opponent later admitted to trying to send Beckham
off by over-reacting to their contact during the game and by urging the
referee to send Beckham off. After losing the game England was
eliminated, Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of
criticism and abuse in media.He had a good season in 1999 - 2000 and helped Manchester United to win
the Premier League. At that time, he married singer
Victoria Beckham (nee' Adams) from the
popular musical group The Spice Girls, and the couple had their first
son, Brooklyn, born in 1999. That same year, Beckham was given a
permission to miss training routine, in order to look after his son
Brooklyn, who suffered from a stomach infection. Meanwhile, the
Manchester United's manager,
Alex Ferguson, fined Beckham
£50,000 (about $80,000 then) the maximum amount that was permitted, for
babysitting with his sick child, while his wife was spotted at a London
fashion Week event on the same night. Ferguson's claim that Beckham
should be able to train if his wife stayed home that day, caused a
serious personal tension between two men. In February 2003, following
the defeat to Arsenal, the Manchester United's manager
Alex Ferguson entered the
changing room and kicked a football boot that struck Beckham over the
eye, causing a cut that required stitches.David Beckham has been a good scorer and a major attraction for public.
On the field he has been demonstrating his consistent ability to see a
big picture even under severe pressure during the most rapidly changing
and unpredictable games. His field vision has been remarkable, allowing
him to create many assists in a number of important matches. Beckham's
forte has been his delivery from the right-hand side as well as his
efficient free kicks. His superior performances in the midfield
position has required a higher physical endurance through the entire
game. "David Beckham's right foot" was mentioned, although humorously,
as one of British national treasures in the movie
Love Actually (2003).He signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, beginning on July 1,
2003, and worth a potential 40 million dollars. In Madrid, Beckham was
not allowed to wear his favorite number seven, because another player
had the right to wear it written into his contract. Beckham decided to
wear the number 23 instead, being a big fan of
Michael Jordan. He immediately
became popular with the Real Madrid fans, but the team did not perform
well enough to win either the Spanish League or the Champions League.
However, Beckham remained a reliable scorer and his performances
attracted more public. His shirts sales and other merchandising deals
remained lucrative for the club, which continued to under-perform,
regardless of the Real's management's higher expectations.In 2005 Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was also
involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic
Games. His third season in Madrid was unremarkable, and he was
criticized a lot, mainly because the team finished second to Barcelona
in Spanish "La Liga" and lost to Arsenal in the European Champions
League. However, during that season, he expanded his international
presence by establishing football academies in Los Angeles and East
London. During the FIFA World Cup 2006, he played for England, and
became the first ever English player to score in three World Cups. In
the quarter final game against Portugal, Beckham was replaced because
of his injury in the middle of the game. Without him the English team
lost and was knocked out of the World Cup.In June 2007 Beckham played his final game for Real Madrid, winning a
medal and celebrating with his friends Tom and Katie Cruse, who
attended the game. This was his fourth, and last season there, ending
his contract with the club. He announced that he had signed a five-year
contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from July 1, 2007 through
June 2012. The 5-year deal includes up to $10 million a year in direct
salary, and with merchandising endorsements and profit-sharing could
earn Beckham up to $50 million a year, and may end up worth about $250
million in five years, making him one of the highest earning athletes
of all time.In 2009, in a unique time share agreement David played on loan at AC
Milan to maintain his fitness after ending the season with the Galaxy.
He ended up staying with Milan for five months, from January to May
2009. In 2010, he also arranged to embark on a second loan spell at AC
Milan from the Galaxy, to play for Milan for another five months. He
said that he "genuinely enjoyed playing for Milan."In 2011, after winning his first MLS Cup, his five-year deal with the
Los Angeles Galaxy ended. At that time, Beckham was invited to play for
Paris Saint-Germain. But the 36-year-old player said "My family and I
are incredibly happy and settled in America and we look forward to
spending many more years here... I am still passionate about playing in
America and winning trophies with the Galaxy" he stated after signing
another two-year contract with the Los Angeles club.In 2012, Beckham helped the Los Angeles Galaxy to retain their
championship by defeating the Houston Dynamo 3-1 in the final game and
winning the MLS Cup 2012. His last appearance for Los Angeles was on
December 2, 2012. Beckham's jersey No 23 has been the best selling in
the MLS and one of the best in the world, as he expands his image as
one of sport's leading icons. Although he plays his best in the right
of midfield, Beckham can be dangerous anywhere in the field and can
make a difference in a big game with a pass, a cross, or a free kick.
Arguably no one in the game can rival Beckham's accuracy in free kicks,
as he can put that ball on a teammate's head with uncanny precision. He
is still a decisive player, regardless of age.In January 2013, David Beckham signed a 5 month contract with Paris
Saint-Germain.The Beckhams, who have become known as "Posh and Becks", have four
children: three sons - Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999, in London),
Romeo James Beckham (born 2002, in London), Cruz David Beckham (born
2005, in Madrid), and daughter Harper Seven (born in 2011, in Los
Angeles).