David Beckham plays for LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the USA and wears the number 23 shirt. He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on May 2nd 1975, in Leytonstone, East London. The former captain of England typically wears the number 7 for the national side, David had the English captaincy from November 15th 2000 to July 2nd 2006.
He has appeard over one hundred times in the UEFA Champions League and is recognised as a world wide brand, with his face used on many global products. He made his full first team appearance for Manchester United aged just seventeen, on April 2nd 1995, in a goalless draw versus Leeds United. By 1997 Beckham was playing well enough to warrant winning PFA Young Player of the Year.
Whilst at Old Trafford he won the amongst other things the Treble of Champions League, FA Cup & Premier League in 1999, he moved to Real Madrid in 2003. His only other club has been Preston North End appearing for them on loan from Man Utd when he was a youngster.
Beckham's first appearance on the Old Trafford pitch he was to grace for so many years was as a mascot for a match against West Ham United in 1986, David was a United supporters from childhood and both his parents were avid fans.
David Beckham first played for England on September 1st 1996, against Moldova in a World Cup qualifying game. In France 98 Beckham was sent off against Argentina at the World Cup for kicking out at Diego Simone. England went on to lose the match through a penalty shoot out, England were out of the tournament and Beckham was portrayed as the villan.
A man of the match performance in England's last qualifying game against Greece for the 2002 World Cup in Japan & South Korea, saw Beckham's favour rise with fans again. Becks finished the game with a trademark curling free kick to guarantee England's place at the FIFA tournament, he went on to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2001.
A poor display personally and from England saw Beckham resign the national captaincy after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where they went out to Portugal on penalties.
