Nobody did it like Beckham
Nobody did it like Beckham
Today marks 30 years since David Beckham made his professional debut for Manchester United. On this occasion, I decided to give a tribute to a great player and one of my idols.
Who is Beckham?
Well, for starters, he is one of the most popular people in the world. He's known worldwide and a household name, even for non-football fans. Why? His looks, obviously. But for me and any sane football fan, the word Beckham reminds us of a person who was one of the best footballers of his generation. Known for his pinpoint passes, crossing ability and the sexy free-kicks, work rate and his dribbling as a right-midfielder, winger, centre midfielder. He could play anywhere!
Early Life
He was part of a group of young players, including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Neville brothers, Nicky Butt who won the FA Youth Cup in 1992, this core group of players is now known as the Class of '92 who were the core of the title winning teams of this great club.
Beckham on this day 30 years ago made his first-team debut who came one as a substitute in a league cup match against Brighton at the mere age of 17. He only made his first full appearance in 1994 in a league cup match against Port Vale. He also made his Champions League debut that year against Galatasaray in a 4-0 win where he scored.
1994-95 season he was on loan to Preston to gain more first team experience.
1995 season United let most of their experienced players leave the club and didn't make any major signings deciding to trust the youth which paid off in the end as Beckham swiftly established himself as United's first choice right sided midfielder along with the other players from class of '92 who impressed everyone as they went on to achieve a double with the Premier League and FA Cup. Beckham scored the winner in the semi-final against Chelsea in the FA Cup, and provided the corner that led to Cantona's goal in the final.
1996: Beckham inherited the iconic no. 7 shirt. He scored that iconic goal on the opening day of the season (random fun fact: my pfp is the Beckham's celebration to that goal) He ended the season with most assists in the league and 9 goals as he helped the team retain the title and was also voted as PFA Young Player of the Year.
1998 World Cup:
Beckham became infamous among the England fans as he was sent off in the World Cup against Argentina in Round of 16.
1998-99: Any United fan would know this season. One of the most important season's in the club's history as they became the first English team to win the treble. To ensure United the League title, United needed to win their final league match against Spurs. Beckham scored a critical equalizer in the game as they won 2-1. In the UCL final, Beckham played an unfamiliar centre midfield role because Paul Scholes and Roy Keane were suspended for the match. Yet, he made an impact as he took the corners that lead to both the United goals in the injury time as we won the game 2-1.
The consistent performances throughout the year led to him finishing runner-up in the ballon d'or standings that season. (I personally think he should've won it)
1999-2000: It was filled with controversy as Beckham was constantly criticized for his tactical fouls and also blaming his wife for having a bad influence on him. There were also rumours that he might leave the club, but he stayed and helped the club retain another league title and was publicly backed by the manager for the criticism he faced.
Euro 2000 and England Captaincy:
The abuse that Beckham received peaked during England's 3-2 defeat to Portugal in Euro 2000 despite Beckham setting up both the goals. Beckham responded by raising his middle finger and despite the further criticism he received for this gesture, many newspapers that had previously joined the supporters in the abuse asked them to stop.
By the early 2000s, the relationship between Beckham and Ferguson deteriorated as a result of his fame and commitments outside football. He was further criticized by the manager for missing out training and fined the maximum amount that was permitted, and was dropped in an important rival match against Leeds United. The story behind this was Beckham asked for permission to miss out on training to look after his sick son when on the same day his wife Victoria Beckham appeared in a London Fashion Event. Despite all this, Beckham still had a good season as United won another league title.
2001 World Cup Qualification:
It's October 6th 2001 at Old Trafford. England needed a draw against Denmark to qualify for World cup qualification finals to avoid a tricky play-off against Ukraine. The team was trailing 2-1 to Denmark despite Beckham probably having the best game of his life. It's the 93rd minute and England won a free kick 25-yards away from goal. This might be the last kick of the game. Millions of people watching the game live. The hopes of all the English fans, relying on this one moment. The team's captain David Beckham steps up to take the free kick. “UP OVER THE WALL AND IN…DAVID BECKHAM HAS DONE IT. IT HAS TO BE BECKHAM!!!”. Beckham got his redemption and to do it in the Theatre of Dreams of all places. What a moment it was. He considers this moment the most important moment in his life till this day.
(I had the most fun writing this part)
2002 World Cup:
Beckham also achieved a certain degree of revenge over Argentina as he scored a crucial penalty against them as Argentina failed to qualify to knockout stages. The team was however knocked out in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Brazil.
2002-03: Following an early season injury, he was unable to regain his place as Olé became the first choice right midfielder. His relationship with SAF further deteriorated following an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal. SAF threw a boot that struck Beckham's face over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches.
2003-04 Beckham was on the verge of joining Barcelona with the transfer fees agreed, but instead he joined Real Madrid. Beckham has ended his Man United career with 265 appearances, 61 goals and Premier League's leading assister.
Real Madrid Career:
LA Galaxy 2007:
Beckham's involvement with the MLS began while he was still a Real player when it was confirmed 6 months prior that he will be joining LA Galaxy. The deal was reported to be worth a five-year contract of US $32.5M. His time at LA were hit by injuries and also being dropped from the National team.
2009 Loan to AC Milan:
Beckham moved to Milan to get some game time before the World Cup and gain his place back in the National Team. The team was star-studded led by Kaka, Ronaldinho, Pirlo who were at the peak of their careers as well as club veterans and legends of the game Maldini and Inzaghi to name a few. Rumours started speculating that Milan were planning to make it a permanent deal, which was later confirmed by Beckham that he is indeed seeking a move to Milan to sustain his England career through the 2010 World Cup. The move, however, failed to take place as Milan failed to match LA Galaxy's valuation of Beckham.
After his return to LA, many fans did not hold back in hating on Beckham for missing the first half of the season and held up several signs asking him to go back home, while also calling him a fraud and a part-time footballer.
2010 Return to Milan on loan again:
The team played Man United in UCL and the fans received him with positive reception upon his return to Old Trafford.
2010-12 second return to LA Galaxy:
It was a decent stint where LA Galaxy won important trophies which included winning the league twice in a row
Paris Saint-Germain:
What did the players and managers who worked with him think of him?
“What remains in your memory is his genuine commitment and dedication, his natural humility which he always had, that will stay forever.” — Arsène Wenger
“I would stand on one side and Beckham on the other, but I wanted to see Beckham take a free-kick because it's beautiful how he hits the ball.” — Carlo Ancelotti
“A phenomenon… the image he has is totally different to what he really is like as a player and as a person.” — Luis Figo
“The person who has negative things to say is either jealous or hates him. Because there are no negative things to say about him.” — Zlatan Ibrahimović.
“Beckham takes free-kicks better than me. It is a joy to watch him take free kicks and he has proved that free kicks are not all about power.”— Roberto Carlos.
To people who say Roberto Carlos is a better free kick taker than him let that sink in :)
“Beckham is superb. Above all to score when the team is in need. He can achieve a result when it is an emergency.”— Thierry Henry.
"Whereas Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan are respected, Beckham is loved, adored, worshipped in some parts of the world. He has an almost godlike status."
—Staffordshire University professor Ellis Cashmore.
“I don’t know how he manages to be so at ease outwardly on the pitch. He is almost a pop star. I couldn’t do that. It is incredible, especially given that he is as timid as me.” — Zinedine Zidane.
Is Beckham overrated or underrated?
Its a really interesting topic. He was never on the level of Zidane, Pele, Maradona, Messi. But by no means he was overrated. He had an immense presence on the pitch for any team he played and can clutch the game at any given time. Best example would be the 2001 game against Greece. He was also a great leader. His prime didn't last long. I would say only his time at Man United can be considered as his prime. He was the most popular person on the planet, that doesn't mean he was overrated. His model and celebrity life should not be taken into accound when you are judging his footballing talent and achievements. His fame clouds people's judgement when rating Beckham which in fact makes him underrated because of that.
Upon his departure to LA Galaxy, El País reflected on the dichotomy of Beckham's playing career and his status off the pitch, describing him as "the great paradox of world football," also adding: "He is the greatest icon on the planet and the cause of such delirium in the media and on the streets, the greatest catwalk model there is. And yet he has been an anti-diva. He was the most galactic of the galacticos off the pitch, but the greatest of earthlings when he walked on to the field."
Nigel Reed of CBC Sports commented on Beckham's career and celebrity status, stating: "His brand is global, his appeal universal. He sparked debate and polarized opinion. But underneath the gloss he was, first and foremost, a very good footballer." He also added that while he felt that "Beckham was not the greatest player of his generation," he believed he had the ability to change games, describing him as "master of his art and a deadly opponent," whose "talent was only topped by his passion."
Addressing the Ronaldo situation:
I've seen a lot of people troll Ronaldo lately. Well of course no one is stopping you. But there's a limit. Put some respect to his name. He's one of the greatest players in the history of football. He's 38 years old. No longer as good as he was. That doesn't mean you can disrespect him. People are hating on him so much as that they are trolling him when a post or a tweet has nothing to do with him. Yes, he's sitting on bench, yes he's no longer the starter, yes he's not playing in champions league anymore yet he's the greatest goalscorer in history with over 800+ goals. Leading goalscorer in UCL and Internationally.
Get some help people.
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