David Beckham emerged as one of several generational talents from Man United’s academy in the early 1990s.

The so-called ‘Class of ’92’ included the likes of Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes who were all part of the 1992 FA Youth Cup winning side.

Beckham was gradually introduced into the first team. Having made his senior debut in a League Cup game against Brighton in September 1992, it took him the best part of three years to establish himself as a regular starter.

He was sent out on loan to Preston North End during the 1994/95 season but, on his return to Old Trafford, manager Alex Ferguson gave him his first taste of the Premier League.

Beckham’s breakthrough at Man United

During the 1995/96 campaign, Beckham became a firm fixture on the right-hand side of midfield, going on to make 40 appearances in total, scoring 8 goals.

The winger scored what is arguably one of his most famous goals at the start of the following season, finding the back of the net against Wimbledon from the halfway line.

Over the course of the next couple of years, Beckham would inherit two famous shirt numbers, no.10 and no.7, as Mark Hughes and Eric Cantona both departed Old Trafford.

His influence on the team increased with every passing year, culminating in the historic treble in 1999, as well as being named runner-up for the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year.

Fallout with Ferguson and his move to Real Madrid

The early 00s saw Beckham’s relationship with his manager becoming increasingly strained. In 2003, during a dressing room tirade, Ferguson threw or kicked a boot, which hit his player above the eye.

There were several other incidents which seemed to stem from the United boss’s frustration over the winger’s celebrity lifestyle.

However, it is important to note that Beckham’s performances did not suffer. He scored 16 goals and 11 goals in his final two seasons with United; the highest figures in his career.

Even so, by 2003, United were actively looking to sell the player, and despite Barcelona agreeing a fee to sign him, he made the switch to Real Madrid instead.

His time in Spain coincided with turmoil behind the scenes at the La Liga giants. The Galacticos’ era had eroded the power of the manager to such an extent that players were hard to control.

Beckham performed well, for the most part, but trophies eluded him. Despite effectively being frozen out for the final season of his time at the Bernabeu, with his move to the MLS having been announced, Fabio Capello recalled him to the starting lineup in February 2007.

Real won the league title at the end of the 2006/07 season with Beckham playing a key role.

Beckham in the United States and loan spells

The England captain moved to LA Galaxy for the second half of the 2007 MLS campaign, and he remained in the United States for the next 5 years.

However, Beckham did have two separate loan spells at AC Milan during that period. He later retired after one final move to Paris Saint-Germain, where he played 13 games and won the Ligue One title in 2013.

Beckham’s career achievements

• He has won 23 major honours in his career, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two Charity Shields, the Champions League, the Intercontinental Cup, La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, two MLS Cups, three MLS Western Conference titles, two Supporters Shields and Ligue One.
• Beckham was runner-up for the Ballon d’Or (1999) and came 2nd in the votes for the FIFA World Player of the Year on two occasions (1999 and 2001).
• He has been named in the PFA Team of the Year on four occasions (1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/2000).
• Beckham won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2001.
• He has been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame (2021) and the PFA Team of the Century (2007).