David Beckham

British soccer player with movie-star good looks and pop-star appeal, Beckham has been called the best footballer in England and perhaps the best in Europe. His long-distance kicks over the goal line, his lightening moves on the field, and his leadership skills as Captain make him a favorite of sports fans everywhere. Enamored of the sport from the time he was a schoolboy, Beckham won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills Award at the age of 11. He was a devoted fan of England’s largest club, Manchester United, and dreamed of playing with the team. His dream came true in July 1991 when he signed on as a trainee. In 1993 he signed as a professional player and made his league debut in April 1995. He aroused fans’ attention right away, and 1996 was a good year for him professionally. But he really shot to stardom in 1997. That year he met Victoria Adams, then a Spice Girl known as “Posh.” They fell in love, announcing their engagement within the year. Their first child, Brooklyn Joseph, was born on March 4, 1999 and the couple married a few months later, on July 4th in Dublin. Their second son Romeo was born September 1, 2002 and their third, Cruz, came along on February 20, 2005. While his family was growing, Beckham was making his name known on the field, with his crosses and free kicks instrumental in winning competition after competition. His on-field accomplishments were occasionally overshadowed by shows of bad temper. One display in 1998 arguably cost England the FIFA World Cup after Beckham was thrown off the field for kicking a rival player. His general brilliance and skill on the field however quickly redeemed him in his fans’ eyes. His free kick in the 2002 World Cup competition against Greece enraptured soccer fans everywhere. The popular 2002 movie “Bend it Like Beckham” is an endearing tribute to the influence he has had on young athletes’ dreams, in this case a young woman. In November 2003 he received an OBE from the Queen of England. That year he announced his decision to sign a four-year contract with Madrid Real, and in early 2007 he announced his decision to join the Los Angeles Galaxy for a $250 million five-year contract that begins in August 2007. He has found that fame comes with a price, however. His wife and children became the center of frightening but thankfully unsuccessful kidnapping plot in November 2002, and his extra-marital flirtations have been often covered by the media. With his blond good looks, fashionable attire and changing hairstyles, he brings marketing appeal to the companies with whom he has endorsement contracts such as Adidas, Pepsico and Marks & Spencer. He now has his own line of men’s colognes, but it’s not all flash and glam. To share his love for the sport, he opened a soccer school for kids, The David Beckham Academy, in the UK and in Los Angeles. Beckham and his wife welcomed another child, a girl born on July 11, 2011 at 7:55 AM local time in Los Angeles (news reports quoting Beckham). They named the child Harper Seven Beckham. Link to Wikipedia biography Link to Astrodienst discussion forum