David Robert Joseph Beckham was born in London to David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham and Sandra Georgina West. His father was a kitchen fitter and his mother was a hairdresser. He also has two sisters named Joanne and Lynne. His mother’s family is Jewish and Beckham has referred to the religion as an influence, although he is not known to practice Judaism or any other faith.
His parents were Manchester United fans, and eventually David inherited his parent’s love of Manchester Untited and developed the passion for soccer. As a child he played for a local youth team called Ridgeway Rovers, coached by his father, Stuart Underwood, and Steve Kirby.He attended one of Bobby Carlton’s soccer schools in Manchester and won the chance to take part in a training session at FC Barcelona.
In 1986 Beckham was a mascot for Manchester United during their match agains West Ham United. David signed a professional contract with Manchester United, and played for them from 1993-2003. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup, he was given a red card for violent conduct in England’s match agains Argentina. After losing the game, England was eliminated from the tournament. Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of criticism in the media. After many arguments with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, Beckham signed into a four-year contract with Real Madrid. After playing for the Real Madrid from 2003-2007, he signed onto LA Galaxy for a five-year contract. He was chosen runner-up for FIFA World Player of the year twice, and is the world’s highest paid soccer player. His world-wide recognition made him an advertising brand and a top fashion icon.
David Beckham married former spice girl Victoria Adam “Posh Spice” on July 4, 1999. Together they have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999), Romeo James Beckham (born 2002), and Cruz David Beckham (born 2005).
Did you know…
- David is the richest English football player. He is worth over £75 Million.
- After signing onto Real Madrid, Beckham was not allowed to wear his lucky number seven since another player already had it. Being a fan of Michael Jordan, he decided to wear the number 23.
- David has several tattoos on various parts of his body.
- David Beckham is right-footed.
- David's personal sponsors are Adidas, Police Sunglasses, Castrol, TBC, Marks and Spencer, Tsubasa Systems, Meiji, Upper Deck, Pepsi, and Vodafone.
- The movie Bend it Like Beckham refers to David as the soccer god. The main character has posters of him covering her room.
- David was accused of having a affair with his ex-nanny Rebecca Loos. He denied the claim.
- In April 2007, David & Victoria launched legal action against a look-alike couple who have posed as the real Beckhams for the last 10 years, obtaining free gifts such as jewelelry and preferential seating at restaurants and clubs.
- In 2007, David insured himself for $250 million - one of the most expensive policies in the world.
- In February 2007, it was revealed that David has ataxophobia - a fear of disorder.