David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBEis an English former professional footballer. He played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain, and the England national team for which he holds the appearance record for an outfield player. He is the first English player to win league titles in four countries: England, Spain, the United States and France. He announced his retirement in May 2013 after a 20-year career, during which he won 19 major trophies. Known...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionSoccer Player
Date of Birth2 May 1975
CityLondon, England
Being at a club that supported me meant a lot.
I love scoring goals for England and playing for England. That's one of the reasons I didn't retire - I love playing for my country.
I wasn't as fit as I would of liked to have been, going to the World Cup, but I'm not sure what difference that made.
It's my responsibility to walk around the hotel with a big smile on my face and not worry about what's happened in the last game.
My secret is practice
No one's ever really given me any style advice. I wear what I want, and it doesn't matter what other people think.
I don't regret the decision to retire. My body was losing its edge. I was taking longer to recover from injuries. You have to get out at some point.
I've got my wife. I've got my four kids. I've got parents, grandparents still, and three really good friends. It's all you need. I'd rather have three really good friends than 20 good friends.
I'm used to being around kids. Even when I was growing up in London, I had an older sister, I had a younger sister that I used to look after from time to time.
At the end of the day, I'm a footballer who has played at some of the biggest football clubs in the world and played with some of the best players in the world.
When I was a kid, I thought my dad was a little bit harsh with me at times. Sometimes I needed an arm around me instead of my dad telling me what I did wrong, but it obviously worked.
Football's the biggest game in the world. America's the greatest sporting nation there is. To play some part in putting those two things together: why wouldn't I be excited about that?
I always wanted kids I could take to work, and for them to experience the things I experience. So, having three boys as a footballer was a dream.
I feel this pang of regret whenever I watch sport; this sense that I will never play a big match again.