David Beckham

David Robert Joseph Beckham,[1] OBE[2] (born 2 May 1975) is an English footballer, who plays in midfield. He plays for and captains Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy[4] and is also a member of the England national team. He earned his much publicised 100th cap for England against France in March 2008.[5]

He has twice been runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year[6], and in 2004 was the world's highest-paid footballer.[7] He was Google's most searched of all sports topics in both 2003 and 2004.[8] Such global recognition has made him an elite advertising brand and a top fashion icon.[9][10] Beckham was captain of England from 15 November 2000[11] to 2 July 2006. He made 58 appearances as captain, and ended his tenure in that role after the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals,[12] however, continued to make contributions for the England national team in competitions after this.[13] Beckham captained Manchester United for the first time on 21 October 2000 in a Premiership match against Leeds United, coming on as a substitute for injured team captain Roy Keane.[14]

Beckham's career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his first-team début in 1992 aged 17.[6] During his time there, United won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999.[6] He left Manchester United to sign for Real Madrid in 2003, where he remained for four seasons.[15] While at Madrid, Beckham became the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches.[6] In his final season, Real clinched the 2006–07 La Liga championship title—Beckham's only major trophy with the club—in the final game of the season on 17 June.[16] In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid and sign a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy.[17]

Beckham's contract with Los Angeles Galaxy became effective on 1 July 2007 and gave him the highest salary of any MLS player in history.[18] He débuted for the team on 21 July in a friendly versus Chelsea at The Home Depot Center,[19] and on 15 August, he had his first start with the team, scoring his first goal in the 2007 SuperLiga semi-final.[20] His first league start then came on 18 August in front of a record crowd at Giants Stadium.[21]

Alongside his career as a footballer, Beckham has gained a significant amount of fame and celebrity status through his marriage to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, leading to various sponsorship deals and advertising campaigns and an estimated joint wealth of £112 million.[22] The couple have three sons and currently reside in Beverly Hills, California.