4. And So It Begins
By 16, he was training in Manchester United’s academy. He had to drop out of High School to dedicate all his time to training. When he was 18 years old, he was signed to officially join the team.
5. Signature Move
David Beckham was the first player to master a special kick that would be named the “Beckham” after him. It is a free kick that actually bends almost like a boomerang, which confuses the goalie and often results in a goal.
6. On a Roll
David Beckham became the first English footballer to score at three consecutive World Cup tournaments.
7. Just in Case
For soccer players, their legs are obviously essential to play the sport. David Beckham’s legs were insured for $70 Million, just in case he was ever injured past the point of ever being able to play again.
Victor Decolongon, Getty Images
8. Ouch
After moving to the United States, David had a string of bad luck. He had several injuries, and he even had to miss out on the 2010 World Cup because of it.
9. A Match Made in Heaven
In 1997, David met Victoria Adams, also known as “Posh Spice” from the famous band The Spice Girls. She was watching him play a game, and they were totally into each other. David admits that he wasn’t actually a fan of the band, but he liked her, and they started dating right away.
10. Love at First Sight
Before meeting her face-to-face, the first time David every saw Victoria was when he watched the Spice Girls music video “Say You’ll Be There” with a group of his friends. He pointed at Victoria, saying that if he ever got to meet her, he would be with her for the rest of his life.
Kura.kun, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. Committed
Two years later, David and Victoria had their first child together: Brooklyn Joseph. They got married a few months later in Ireland.
12. Leadership
In the year 2000, David Beckham was given the honor of being the captain of England’s national team during the World Cup. He repeated the position for the next tournament, but decided to step down from the captain role in 2006.
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13. Born To Be a Father
David Beckham says that he always dreamed of having sons to bring to soccer games, and he got his wish. He has three sons; Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz. They also have one daughter, Harper.
14. Off to Spain
He signed with the soccer team Real Madrid in 2003, and his whole family moved over with him.
15. The Pen is Mightier
In 2003, he released an autobiography called Beckham—Both Feet On The Ground. It became a #1 international best-seller.
16. Golden Feet
In the movie Love Actually, “David Beckham’s Left Foot” is mentioned as being one of the greatest treasures in Great Britain.
17. I think I can, I think I can...
David admits that he is a very stubborn person, especially if someone tells him he can’t do something. He also says that he is constantly trying to improve himself as a person.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Getty Images
18. What’s Up With Your Hair?
When he was younger, he had some interesting hair styles. One time, he even got corn rows.
19. It Must Be Perfect
David Beckham admitted to suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He says that when he stays in a hotel, he rearranges furniture and moves thing around before he can feel comfortable. He also likes things to be completely tidy and in perfectly straight lines. If his fridge has an uneven number of soda cans, he will throw one away just to get it “right.”
Waqar A Majid, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. Tide’s Not Good Enough?
Since he has this compulsion to be clean and perfect all the time, every month, he buys 30 new pairs of Calvin Klein underwear, and they’re all totally identical. At the end of the month, they all get thrown away, and he just buys more.
21. On the Big Screen
The movie Bend it Like Beckham was obviously named after him. It’s a story of a girl who gets inspired by English football. He was quoted saying that he believes girls should have every opportunity to play soccer as much as boys.
22. Close, But no Cigar
David Beckham says that he considered making a cameo together with Victoria in the Bend it Like Beckham movie, but he ultimately decided against it. He didn’t feel comfortable trying to act, and was afraid he would be too stiff.
23. Baring it All
In 2012, David Beckham came out with a line of underwear for H&M.
24. Bleeding Heart
David Beckham was paid $5.3 Million to play for Paris Saint-Germain, and he donated his entire salary to a charity for children.
25. Paris, I Love You
The Beckham family moved to France during the time he played for Paris Saint-Germain. Victoria said she was excited, because it put a romantic spark to their relationship. He also decided to take French lessons, and got decently good at speaking the language.
26. Paparazzi
On the very first day of his training sessions in Paris, 150 reporters showed up to take his picture on the field, even though he wasn’t playing in an actual game.
27. Hooray, USA
In 2007, he got a $250 Million contract with the American team, LA Galaxy. It only lasted for 5 years. When he was asked how he liked living as an athlete in America, he replied that he loved it there, because everyone universally respects sports stars and treats them like a celebrity, no matter what team they’re rooting for. In the UK, he would get disrespected in public if someone wasn’t a fan of the Manchester United.
28. Company Man
Playing soccer isn’t the only thing that pays David Beckham’s bills. He made $42 Million in brand deals alone. He has worked with H&M, Adidas, Breitling watches, and more.
29. Foodie
His favorite meal is a London classic: pie and mash. He also loves jellied eels on the side. When he was traveling all over Europe to play, he would actually have meals shipped over from England so he could have things he enjoyed eating.
Goddard's Pies Limited, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
30. You’ll Never See The Same Thing Twice
Every game he plays, he wears a brand new pair of shoes. They are always high-end name brand shoes, which cost $300 each.
31. Big Softie
He admits that certain movies will make him openly cry in public, even if he’s seen them before.
32. Idol
Larger-than-life silver statues of David Beckham in nothing but his tighty whities popped up in front of H&M stores in major cities throughout the US in 2012. Rolling Stone called them some of the worst statues of a sports star.
33. Power Couple
While there is no way of knowing the true number without asking him, David Beckham’s total net worth has been estimated at $450 Million. His wife Victoria is also estimated to have the same net worth. If they invested wisely, the duo could be worth nearly a billion dollars. That’s actually more than the net worth of the Queen of England.
34. Smells Good
David and Victoria came out with their own fragrance together, called “Beckham.” They make perfume for women, as well as cologne for men. In 2011, David went undercover as a Target employee as part of a gag with the Ellen show, trying to get people to buy his cologne.
Andrew H. Walker, Getty Images
35. No Pain No Gain
David Beckham says that he is “addicted” to getting tattoos, because he actually enjoys the pain. Almost his entire body is covered in tattoos.
36. A Very Rare Vintage
When living in Spain, David and Victoria really got into going to wine tastings. During the time he lived in the United States, he purchased a vineyard and winery in Napa, California as a gift for Victoria. The only people who are allowed to visit it are friends and family.
Brian MInkoff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
37. Tatted
Most of David’s tattoos are some sort of religious imagery from all over the world. While he likes the look. His mother’s family is Jewish, which is what he identifies as, but he says that he actually isn’t very religious at all.
38. Equality
David Beckham is a supporter of gay rights. He also attended Elton John’s wedding in 2014.
Jonathan Leibson, Getty Images
39. Loyalty
Despite the fact that he changed teams a few times, David Beckham says he could never play in a team that went up against Manchester United. As a result, he has never accepted offers to join rival teams in the Premier League.
40. Alternate Reality
David Beckham says that if he didn’t make it as a professional soccer player, he would have been a hairdresser. When he was a kid, he also loved to draw, and said he would have also possibly been an illustrator or cartoonist.
Soccer Aid for Unicef, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
41. Ready For a Fight
David Beckham puts all his sons into martial arts classes and bodyguard training.
42. Birthday Suit
Playboy magazine asked David and Victoria to do a nude photoshoot together. They turned it down, but David said, “never say never.”
43. Tweet Tweet
He suffers from “ornithophobia,” which is actually the fear of birds.
Kunal Shah, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
44. The End
David Beckham retired from soccer in 2013. When asked about his decision, he said he doesn’t regret it. He was already in his late 30’s, and it was taking his body longer to recover with each injury. He wanted to stop before the damage to his body got too serious. Now, he is enjoying retirement with his wife and four kids.
Julien M. Hekimian, Getty Images
45. Not Over Yet
Despite the fact that he is retired from soccer, that doesn’t mean David Beckham has dropped off the face of the Earth. He is still very much a celebrity, and frequently does TV appearances and modeling.
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