David beckham is a name to reckon with when we talk of soccer. he was born on May 2, 1975 in
Leytonstone. He was born to David - a gas fitter's assistant and Sandra Beckham - a hairdresser. Ted caught the bug of soccer as a young boy, and dreamed of playing professionally. Though his career fizzled before he made it to the big time, he was a good player who stayed active in local leagues. The elder Beckham often brought David to his matches. The boy begged to join the games, and finally got his chance when he reached his teen years.
A diehard fan of Manchester United, David was completely obsessed with soccer. Buying birthday and Christmas gifts for him was simple. A soccer ball or jersey from his favorite team, or a poster of the players he idolized - Steve Bruce, Gordon Strachan and Bryan Robson - was all he ever wanted. On weekends David and his family often visited Ted's mom and dad. David's grandfather was a loyal supporter of Man-U’s longtime rival, Arsenal. He would recount the heroic exploits of stars like Chalrie Buchan and Alex James, but Ted forbid his son to root for Arsenal. Though grandpa Beckham tried his best to sway the boy, David stuck with United.
It was rare to see David without a soccer ball as a child. A talented all-around athlete, he played other sports, including
rounders, baseball, basketball and rugby, but none could come close to his first love. He was also a Boy Scout (though mostly because soccer was one of the chief
activites). After school and on weekends, David either headed to the park for a pick-up game or suited up for a youth-league match. At age eight, he joined the Ridgeway Rovers of the Enfield District League, and quickly developed into the club's most talentes scorer. His footwork, anticipation and ability to control the action were already evident at this age.
Three years later, David participated in Bobby Charlton's Soccer Skills Tournament. The 11-year-old won the event with the highest score ever. Included among his prizes was a two-week trip with Terry
Venables' Barcelona side at the Nou Camp.
Ted had a lot to do with David's burgeoning talent. He worked out with his son regularly, teaching him the nuances of dribbling, passing, crossing and shooting. A tireless student, David did everything well on the pitch, but his powerful right leg attracted the most attention. He could propel the ball at speeds comparable to many adult players, and had a particular gift for making his shots curl in the air. This caused defenders to lean the wrong way, and made goalkeepers commit too soon. Scoring long, spectacular goals became his trademark.
David was an intelligent kid, but more often than not school took a backseat to soccer. Instead of studying, David preferred to watch "Grandstand" or "Match of the Day." That's not to say he was a slacker. David took lots of odd jobs to earn extra money. Among his more memorable gigs was collecting empty glasses at the Walthamstow dog track.
Ted and Sandra kept their son in line by using his love of soccer as both prod and punishment. If he misbehaved, they thought nothing of holding him out of practice. There was nothing he hated more.
As David grew older, he became the subject of an intense recruiting war between various soccer interests. He played for the Essex Schools and Leyton Orient, and attended Tottenham Hotspur's School of Excellence. Professional clubs tried to lure him with various gifts—including free tickets to matches (which David and his parents never turned down). But the red and white of Manchester was always in his blood. Representatives from United first came knocking after David's 12th birthday. Every summer after that he went to Manchester for workouts. In July of 1991, on the advice of Bobby Charlton, the club signed the 16-year-old as a trainee.
It didn't take long for David to get his feet wet with United. Unlike some players his age, he adjusted very well to life away from home. The teenager was so eager to start his professional career that being separated from his family for days and weeks at a time barely phased him. His exceptional talents were quickly in demand by the time he reached his early teens.When the Manchester United talent scout finally came knocking on the door, and he signed the contract on his 14th birthday, it is safe to say that the last thing this modest young man felt was surprise.
Aged only 16, Beckham set down the road towards stardom but fame and fortune were still several years away. Silverware however was much closer at hand as within 10 months of moving north Beckham helped United's youth team win the
F.A. Youth Cup in may 1992. Many of the members of the winning team were tipped for big futures, among them
Scholes, Butt and the Neville brothers. but Beckham was singled out by Alex Ferguson as possibly the most promising of the lot......
His lack of physical strength meant another two years in the reserves were ahead of him before his first team debut. But when it came he didn't hesitate to grab onto it with both hands.
Crippled by injury and suspension going into their Champions' League game with Galatasaray at Old Trafford, United were forced to blood some of their promising yet inexperienced young talent. Beckham was one of these and gave United fans a glimpse of what was to come in years to follow with an assured and confident performance, capped by a debut goal.
Despite long term injuries to Andrei Kanchelskis throughout the remainder of the 1994/95 season Beckham was not ready to step into the first team permanently and not until 1995/96, when the Russian winger had left the club, that his shot at the big time finally came.
Again Beckham wasn't to disappoint, playing an important part in United's second double winning season. But it wasn't until 1996/97 that he was launched fully into the football spotlight. his miraculous 60-yard lob of Wimbledon's Neil Sullivan on the opening day and the spectacular goals that followed, enhanced his reputation as one of England's most promising talents. His England debut against Moldova soon followed in september 1997 and from that point on he was an England regular.
By this time Beckham's talents had truly started to shine. Blessed with a vision not seen from an English midfielder since Glenn
Hoddle, his passing both long and short has made him one of the most covetted players in the world. His crossing alone can destroy the most well drilled defence in an instant as proved to such devastating effect against Inter Milan in the 1999 European Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford. So accurate and perfectly weighted were Beckham's deliveries that Dwight Yorke only needed to make contact to score both his goals against the Italians....
Armed with such explosive power and control of a football it was inevitable that Beckham would be equally devastating at set pieces. Any corners or free-kicks in and around the oppositions box and Beckham will invariable take it. And if the angle is right (and more often than not it is with Beckham) he is never shy to try a strike at goal, often with unstoppable results. His favourite set piece is a shot to the goalkeepers right, dipping over the wall and curling into the corner. As seen in the 1998 World Cup against Colombia and at Old Trafford in the 3:3 thriller with Barcelona in september 1998.
But aside from his distribution and set pieces, his stamina and dexterity set him even further apart from his peers. With a skillful grace he can change direction in an instant while still remaining in complete control of the ball, allowing him to assess all the options available to him and switch the direction of play with devastating speed. While despite competing in a World Cup and being the most fouled Manchester United player in 1998/99, Beckham played over 50 matches and performed with the same enthusiasm and determination in the last game as he had in the first.
However as with so many other great players blessed with similar talents, their temperament can often be their greatest weakness. Beckham is no different, as a moment of rash anger against Argentina in france '98 so fatefully proved. Public opinion towards Beckham had already been on the slide in the preceeding months as his lifestyle and relationship with Spice Girl Victoria Adams received almost obsessive attention from the british media. His sending off against Argentina for tripping Diego Simeone and England's subsequent defeat on penalties resulted in Beckham becoming the scapegoat and public enemy number one.
Questions about his future in the English game ran wild in the press with many predicting his imminent departure to Italy in order to escape the "boo-boys" that lied in wait in the coming season. But the United team and fans rallied around Beckham as he was unfairly treated by all quarters and his future was never really an issue in reality. He wasn't going to turn tail and run. And within 10 months he had been completely vindicated, producing the best football of his career and being recognised by United fans as their player of the year.
Nobody deserved to lift the European Cup in Barcelona more than David Beckham, having endured so much off the field in the previous months. But his performance alone on the night merited his medal. It was one of his finest in a red shirt considering the absence of Keane and Scholes and the mental and physical fatigue he must has felt. It only went to prove even more conclusively what a priceless footballing talent he is.
Soccer can be a subtle sport, but it's not hard to see David’s considerable skills. When he gains control of the ball and surveys the field, the defense tenses and his teammates get an extra hop in their step. Everyone knows that he can deliver a pass virtually anywhere on the field, and is quite capable of pressing the action himself.
Whether crossing or shooting, David’s long-distance heroics come courtesy of his devastating ball-striking ability. Soccer clubs put radar guns on kicks the way baseball scouts clock pitches, and David’s muscular right leg has generated eye-popping speeds. Many of his kicks approach 100 mph, which is no fun for a goalkeeper or defender whose job it is to stand in its way.
This has much to do with his efficiency with free kicks. David’s sublime talent for making round objects bend while airborne would have a diminished effect were it not for the fact that everyone on the field freezes for a milisecond at the instant he puts boot to ball. An opponent expecting a screamer has less time to react to a Beckham bender, while a keeper who assumes a curling shot is on the way risks the humiliation of letting in an untouched goal.
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