David Beckham
- Profession: Footballer
- Place/Date of Birth: 02 May 2020
- Assiociated with: Victoria Beckham
"I would like to thank the supporters and people of Madrid who have made my family and I feel so welcome in my time here, making this an extremely difficult decision to make.
"I have enjoyed my time in Spain enormously and I am extremely grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to play for such a great team and their amazing fans.
"I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world’s most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own."
Posh and Becks ’fight over flag’ - Dec 14 2006
It seems the king and queen of British style, David and Victoria Beckham, are rangling over his next fashion decision.
The former England skipper wants to get a new tattoo but the former Spice Girl has told him it will look tacky, the Daily Express reports.
David, 31, wants to get an etching of the Cross of St George, also known as the England flag, on his torso.
But as he was recently dropped from the England squad, Posh, 32, fears it will make him look bitter and desperate.
A friend told the paper: "She says he has enough tattoos and another one will look tacky and downmarket.
"Also she doesn’t want him to humiliate himself and allow his detractors to claim this is a pathetic ploy to get himself back into the squad.
"She thinks he should just work as hard as possible with Real Madrid and try to earn his way back into the first team."
Perhaps Victoria disapproves of his choice of flag and believes a Stars and Stripes symbol would be more appropriate - after all, she is said to be househunting in the US and is keen to become a fixture on the Hollywood celeb scene.
Beckham tipped for knighthood? - Oct 20 2006
His future in the England team may be uncertain, but David Beckham’s ball skills could have landed him a trip to the Palace for a knighthood, the Daily Express reports.
The former England football captain received an OBE in 2003 and now rumours in Whitehall suggest Tony Blair might recommend Becks, 31, for the ultimate accolade in the 2007 New Year Honours.
If the Real Madrid star became Sir David, Posh Spice would become Lady Victoria - a title she would no doubt adore, especially after launching her own jeans and jewellery ranges.
And David would confirm his place among the footballing greats including Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Bobby Moore.
A source at Westminster told the Express: "It is just something which clearly makes sense. Beckham contributed a huge amount to the successful London Olympic bid and has become the enduring sporting icon of this generation.
"New Labour’s spin doctors know this and are keen to reward him for his endeavours. Such an award would also be seen as a popular move to the electorate."
David has not played for England since the World Cup quarter final against Portugal, but this week he revealed he is determined to regain his place.
"I still believe I have a part to play. It’s hard to watch England without being in the team. It’s still hard and it will be until I’m back in there," he said.
David’s Police contract ends - Oct 11 2006
David Beckham has reportedly been dropped as the face of Police sunglasses. The footballer, who was thought to be raking in £1 million a year for promoting the brand, is being replaced by Hollywood star Antonio Banderas, the Daily Mail reports.
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Victoria Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham was born on 2nd May 1975 and despite being a renowned national and international footballer, is probably more famous for his marriage to ‘Posh’, aka Victoria Beckham, their bizarrely named children and continued coverage in the gossip press.
Beckham’s football career began its steady climb when he first signed a trainee’s contract with Man U in 1991, making his league debut in 1995.
His contribution at Man U saw the team climb the ladder that is the English Premiere League and by 1998 he had also established himself on the international scene.
In 1998 Beckham was part of the England squad at the World Cup, but received a red card in the quarter final, for kicking out in anger at Argentian player Diego Simeone. England lost the game on penalties and David’s on-pitch behaviour became the object of much criticism on his return to England.
Despite his instrumental part in Man U claiming the Treble, Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, in the 98/99 season, Beckham’s real rise to fame didn’t start until 2000 when he was promoted to captain the England team.
In 2001 his performance in a qualifying match against Greece saved the day for the England team and shortly afterwards he was voted Sports Personality of the Year. In 2002 his leadership saw an unprecedented 5-1 defeat of Germany in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers. The team went on to knock Argentina out of the cup on penalties, before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual winners Brazil.
Relations at home with Man U were strained during this time. A number of injuries left their star player incapacitated, whilst his growing celebrity status appeared to cause friction with teammates and manager alike.
In 2003 we all heard about the infamous ‘boot’ incident, when apparently, following a defeat against Arsenal, manager Alex Ferguson kicked a football boot at Beckham, it struck his eye causing a gash that required stitches.
In the summer of 2003 Beckham surprised fans by announcing a move to Spanish dream team Real Madrid, with whom he signed a four-year contract. During his time in Spain he split his time between the Spanish capital and his family who had remained at their home in England.
Despite winning over the fans in Spain and scoring well in the first season, the team itself didn’t perform well and were knocked out of both the Spanish and Champions League. It wasn’t until his fourth season in 2006/7 that the team won the Spanish Le Liga title, Beckham’s first since his arrival at the club.
During his time in Spain Beckham spent as much time in the papers as he did on the pitch, when accusations of an affair with personal assistant Rebecca Loos were printed in the tabloid press. His wife’s refusal to move to Spain fuelled yet further accusations that the marriage was on the rocks.
His career as England captain also seemed to be strained at this time, when during the 2006 World Cup he was substituted, a move that saw him weeping on the sideline. Shortly after this incident Beckham took the bold step of standing down from his position as captain and was subsequently dropped from the squad all together.
At the beginning of 2007 Beckham announced his swift departure from Real Madrid, in order to cross the Atlantic and join Los Angeles Galaxy.
2007 has seen the whole family move Stateside, with the Beckham’s continuing their domination of the world media in an attempt to ‘conquer’ the USA.
David and Victoria married on July 4th 1999 and have three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz
Updated July 2007
October 2007