David Beckham is one of the worlds most elite and iconic athletes. He is the son of David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham, a kitchen fitter and Manchester United fan, and Sandra Georgina West, a hairdresser. He played football regularly growing up and attended one of Bobby Charlton's football schools in Manchester and won the chance to take part in a training session at FC Barcelona, as part of a talent competition.
His career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his first-team début in 1992 at the ripe age of seventeen. During his time with the club, United won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999.
In 1997 Beckham met former Spice Girls singer Victoria “Posh” Adams when she attended a Manchester United match, and they began dating shortly after. Their relationship attracted – and still does – a lot of media attention. They married on July 4 1999, four months after giving birth to their first child Brooklyn.
Their second son Romeo was born in 2002, and then in 2003 Beckham left Manchester United and signed with Real Madrid, whom he played four seasons with and became the first footballer to play one hundred Championship League matches. Cruz Beckham was born in 2005, the same year David Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Then in 2007 it was announced that Beckham would be leaving Real Madrid to sign a five year contract with Los Angeles Galaxy.
Beckham is not just known for his sporting ability, but also as a fashionista. He is a lucrative spokespeople who is sought after by clothing designers, health and fitness specialists, fashion magazines, perfume and cosmetics manufacturers, hair stylists, exercise promoters, and spa and recreation companies.
In August 2007, Beckham played in a friendly for England against Germany, becoming the first ever to play for England while with a non-European club team.
In 2008, Beckham's success in the England national team under Fabio Capello led to speculation that he may return to Europe in order to retain match fitness for the World Cup qualifying matches in 2009. On 30 October 2008, Milan announced that Beckham was to join them on loan from 7 January 2009.
