David Beckham, whose full name is David Robert Joseph Beckham, was born in 1975 in Leytonstone, East London, England. He is an English football (soccer) player who attracted international fame for his on-field play and his highly publicised personal life.
At the tender age of 11 Beckham won a football contest. As a teenager he played on Manchester United’s youth squad and lead it to a national championship in 1992. Three years later Beckham began playing with the professional team in league competition and during the 1995–96 season he assisted Manchester United to win the league title and the Football Association (FA) Cup.
International Career
On the international stage, Beckham had his share of controversies to be concerned about. He made his soccer tournament debut at the 1998 World Cup although manager Glen Hoddle initially utilised him as a substitute. In the round of 16 match that was played against Argentina, Beckham was sent off as he kicked Diego Simeone while he was lying on the pitch. England ultimately lost the match on penalties, and Beckham became the central target of abuse by both the fans as well as the media.
By Euro 2000, things weren’t getting any better. Inspire earning two assists in a 2-3 loss to Portugal in the soccer tournament opener, Beckham was taunted by fans during the match. He ultimately responded by raising his middle finger. Even though this really boosted his image in the media outlets, England was eliminated from the soccer tournament in the group stages. For the 2002 World Cup, Beckham was bumped up to team captain but England was not able to get past Brazil in the quarterfinals.
David Beckham retired from professional soccer in May 2013 as one of the most popular players to have graced the field.
Photo by Lionel Hahn
Personal Life
After being in a relationship with Spice Girls member Victoria Adams, who was also known as ‘Posh Spice’ for two years, Beckham married her on 4 July 1999. They have four children, the first three being sons named Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz and the youngest is a daughter named Harper Seven.
The 46-year-old certainly made a lot of money from his very successful football career and by the time he actually retired, he ranked seventh in the list of the best paid athletes of all time with a respectable $800 million to his name. As with many soccer players, sponsorship deals and endorsements from clothing brands have helped to increase his earnings.
Beckham has teamed up with the likes of H&M, Breitling, Sainsbury’s, Armani, Gillette, AIA Group, and PepsiCo. He assisted with creating the very famous Adidas Predator boots, while his own perfume has been a quite popular seller since its creation.
However since retirement, Beckham has gone on to make amounts of money that every NZ online casino player dreams of winning, all through his own company, DB limited. Also Beckham’s earnings and net worth have been boosted from his wife, Victoria, and her own fashion line under the Beckham Brand name.
