David Beckham
Throughout his career, Beckham was celebrated for his exceptional range of passing, crossing ability, and the ability to bend free-kicks as a right winger. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest set-piece specialists in the history of football. He made history as the first English footballer to win league titles in four countries - England, Spain, the United States, and France.
Due to his numerous accomplishments for both club and country, Beckham is revered as one of the greatest Manchester United footballers of all time. He is also considered one of the best English players to have ever played the game, and his contributions to the sport will be remembered for generations to come.
Early Life
David Beckham was born at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, London, England, to Sandra Georgina and David Edward Alan Beckham. His mother was a hairdresser, and his father was a kitchen fitter. The couple got married in 1969 in the London Borough of Hackney. David was given the middle name Robert in honour of his father's favourite footballer, Bobby Charlton. He has two siblings, an older sister named Lynne Georgina and a younger sister named Joanne Louise.
David attended Chingford County High School in Nevin Drive, Chingford. Even as a child, his only dream was to become a professional footballer, and he expressed this desire to his teachers whenever they asked him about his career aspirations.
Beckham's maternal grandfather was Jewish, and he has referred to himself as "half Jewish." He wrote in his autobiography that he has had more contact with Judaism than with any other religion. Growing up, he attended church every week with his parents because that was the only way he could play football for their team.
Both of Beckham's parents were ardent Manchester United supporters, and their love for the team rubbed off on their son. David inherited his parents' passion for football and played for various local youth teams, including Ridgeway Rovers, which was coached by his father, Stuart Underwood, and Steve Kirby.
After attending Bobby Charlton's Soccer Schools in Manchester, Beckham won the chance to take part in a training session with Barcelona, as part of a talent competition. He was also a Manchester United mascot for a match against West Ham United in 1986.
Beckham signed schoolboy forms at Manchester United on his 14th birthday and subsequently signed a Youth Training Scheme contract on 8 July 1991. Despite being a late developer, he was named Under-15 Player of the Year in 1990 during a two-year period in which he played for Brimsdown Rovers' youth team. He was not selected to represent the England Schoolboys team due to his small size.
Playing Style
Throughout his illustrious career, Beckham was widely regarded as one of the best and most recognizable players of his generation. He was particularly renowned for his exceptional free-kick ability, which many consider to be among the best of all time.[8][9][217] Although predominantly right-footed, Beckham possessed an impressive range of passing, exceptional vision, and incredible crossing ability. These attributes allowed him to create opportunities for his teammates and score goals himself, making him an outstanding right-winger despite his lack of blistering pace.[218][219][220] In contrast to his Manchester United teammate Ryan Giggs, who often preferred to take on opponents directly with the ball, Beckham relied more on his movement and passing to beat players.[221]
Beckham formed a formidable partnership on the right side of the pitch with full-back Gary Neville during his time at Manchester United. Their mutual understanding, combined with Neville's overlapping runs, meant that he was able to get on the end of Beckham's passes and deliver crosses into the box whenever Beckham was heavily marked.[222][223] Although primarily played on the right flank, Beckham was also deployed as a central midfielder on several occasions throughout his career, particularly during his spells at Real Madrid and AC Milan.[137][224][225] As he aged, he occasionally played as a deep-lying playmaker to compensate for his physical decline, although he personally felt that his best role was on the right.[226][227][228]
In addition to his passing, crossing, and set-piece prowess, Beckham was also highly regarded for his stamina and defensive work-rate. Having played as an attacking midfielder and box-to-box midfielder in his youth, he was comfortable playing in a variety of positions on the pitch, including as a wing-back.[225][229][230][231] Beckham was also a potent long-range striker of the ball and a competent penalty taker, earning him a reputation as a deadly finisher.[232][233] He was also lauded in the media for his ball control, ability to create space, anticipation, composure, determination, athleticism, dedication, and footballing intelligence.[220][234][235][236][237]
Reference
- Wikipedia
