David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBEis an English former professional footballer. He played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain, and the England national team for which he holds the appearance record for an outfield player. He is the first English player to win league titles in four countries: England, Spain, the United States and France. He announced his retirement in May 2013 after a 20-year career, during which he won 19 major trophies. Known...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionSoccer Player
Date of Birth2 May 1975
CityLondon, England
Maths is totally done differently to what I was teached when I was at school.
Well I'm the Prince and I'm sort of slaying a dragon - which is something I've never done before, obviously.
To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country.
The criticism hurts sometimes and I worry about the effect on my family.
I love football and I love winning, and when things aren't going right I get annoyed.
[Meeting Mandela] was the highlight of my career; to meet such a great man and a strong man and such a passionate man about sport and life will always stay with me.
I don't think I have reached a plateau. I have just reached the level where I am today. But I need to go above it.
That goal [in the 1998 World Cup] changed me-not as a person, but as a player. People have looked at me differently ever since. It gave me confidence and now I feel I can achieve anything.
You know when you play in the big away games that the fans are going to be behind their team and will be booing you. As a professional you need to tune yourself out of that part of the game and concentrate on the job at hand.
I know that I will always regret it later in life if I had turned down the chance to play at another great club like Real Madrid.
I would walk back from the United States to play for England again.
As soon as I hit the ball, I know if it's in.
I'm not silly enough to think I'm going to change the whole culture ... but I do have a belief that soccer can go to a different level.
I feel I can still do the same job as I did 10 years ago - I've just got a few more wrinkles!