Birth Date: May 2 1975
Birth Place: Leytonstone, London
Birth Nation: England
Height: 182cm
Weight: 74Kg
Nationality: British
Position: Midfielder
Full name: David Robert Joseph Beckham
As a lad, David Beckham's parents were Manchester United supporters and they bought him Man United kits. However his grandparents were Tottenham Hotspur fans and used to get him Spurs kits.
David started playing football for his local side, Ridgeway Rovers and first kicked a ball at Old Trafford at eleven years old when he won the ' TSB Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills' Finals.
Manchester United scout, Malcolm Fidgeon was watching David playing for Ridgeway and decided to talk to David's parents about David playing for United. But his parents decided their son should finish school at Chingford before joining Manchester United.
From then on David went to every game Manchester United played in London and in 1987 he was the United mascot for the match at West Ham.
After finishing his schooling, David started playing for the West Ham United youth team but Manchester United decided to steal David from the Hammers (allegedly) and have David in their youth team instead, but David was happy about this because after all, he was a United supporter.
David Beckham Rumours and Transfers
27 10 2007
David Beckham will have to content himself with facing the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Minnesota Thunder, Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix this winter as he attempts to regain fitness and form, thus preserving his England prospects.
Major League Soccer (MLS) yesterday firmly ruled out any possibility that Beckham could go on loan to a Barclays Premier League club - or anywhere else - in January.
There had been speculation that as soon as the transfer window opens, the 32-year-old would seek a temporary move so that he could play top-level football.
That would enhance his hopes of reaching a century of England caps (he has 97) by keeping him in the spotlight at a time when thoughts will be turning to the finals of Euro 2008, should Steve McClaren's side qualify.
"It's never been discussed and it's simply not going to happen," Ivan Gazidis, the deputy commissioner of MLS, told The Times.
"It's not a practical possibility given the way the transfer windows work in conjunction with the Fifa rules. It would require us loaning him out from January until July at a minimum. That's not going to happen. He's going to be playing in the MLS season next year [beginning in late March]."
22 10 2007
Italy are dominating the Golden Ball list of 50 candidates with eight players, while Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona each contributed seven names on the list.
- Golden Ball 2007 nominees:
Éric Abidal (Olympique Lyon, FC Barcelona)
Daniel Alves (FC Sevilla)
David Beckham (Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy)
Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus Turin)
Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid)
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Rogerio Ceni (Sao Paulo)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Deco (FC Barcelona)
Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid)
Diego (Werder Bremen)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Michael Essien (Chelsea)
Samuel Eto'o (FC Barcelona)
Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Gennaro Gattuso (Milan)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
Thierry Henry (Arsenal, FC Barcelona)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)
Filippo Inzaghi (Milan)
Kaka (Milan)
Frederic Kanoute (FC Sevilla)
Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen, Bayern Munchen)
Younis Mahmoud (Algharafa)
Paolo Maldini (Milan)
Florent Malouda (Olympique Lyon, Chelsea)
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic Glasgow)
Guillermo Ochoa (America Mexico)
Andrea Pirlo (Milan),
Ricardo Quaresma (FC Porto),
Raul (Real Madrid)
Franck Ribery (Olympique Marseille, Bayern Munchen),
Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca Juniors, Villarreal)
Robinho (Real Madrid)
Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona)
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
Clarence Seedorf (Milan)
Carlos Tevez (West Ham, Manchester United)
Luca Toni (Fiorentina, Bayern Munchen)
Kolo Toure (Arsenal)
Jose Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid, Liverpool)
Francesco Totti (AS Roma)
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
David Villa (Valencia)
17 10 2007
While England go in search of Euro 2008 qualification in Russia on Wednesday, David Beckham is set to begin his bid to be fit for what could be a decisive qualifier against Croatia.
Beckham has been sidelined for the past six weeks with a knee injury, but he stands to make a bit-part return from the bench in LA Galaxy's clash with New York Red Bull.
And that bodes well for England boss Steve McClaren, who may still need the former England captain for November's qualifier with Croatia.
A draw in Russia would leave England still needing a point against the Group E table-toppers, and everybody remembers Beckham's last-gasp heroics in similar circumstances against Greece back in 2001.
Galaxy coach Frank Yallop confirmed: 'We're not going to force him in there. It would be nice to get him on the field at some point because he's such a good player. He would be a pretty valuable substitute I would think if he's available for our team. I think he's going to be a little bit rusty obviously, not being in the squad, not training with the guys, but I think he's moving well.'
Beckham's more immediate challenge is to prove he is worth a starting place for The Galaxy, who have won five games on the bounce.
'I'm not going to just change the line-up with the people coming back from injury,' added Yallop.
'For me it's a great message for people coming back that they have to work their way into the team. That's the correct way to have it.'
08 10 2007
Peter Taylor was fired as Crystal Palace manager Monday after the London club's poor start to the League Championship season.
Palace drew 1-1 with Hull on Saturday and is in 19th place with 10 points from 10 games.
"Crystal Palace Football Club announce that Peter Taylor's contract has been terminated with immediate effect," the club said on its Web site.
Taylor, 54, took over after Iain Dowie left in June 2006, but the club did not challenge for promotion to the Premier League last season, finishing 12th. Palace was relegated from the Premier League in 2005.
Taylor previously coached at lower league clubs Hull, Brighton, Leicester, Gillingham and Southend.
He made four England appearances as a midfielder, twice managed the country's under-21 team and was caretaker manager for the senior team for one match in 2000, when he gave David Beckham the captaincy for the first time.
Palace chairman Simon Jordan now has the two-week international break to find a replacement for Taylor, who is the seventh manager to leave Selhurst Park in seven years.
Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock has been linked with the Palace job.
07 10 2007
England manager Steve McClaren has described David Beckham as a 'true patriot' as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
Beckham resumed training with Los Angeles Galaxy this week having been out of action for more than a month with a sprained right knee.
The injury ruled Beckham out of England's Euro 2008 qualifiers in September and the midfielder is also set to miss the forthcoming games with Estonia and Russia.
England require two wins from the games, on October 13th and 17th respectively, to seal qualification for the finals in Austria and Switzerland.
If England do not produce what is required against Estonia and Russia progression will come down to the final Group E meeting with Croatia on November 21st.
Beckham is determined to be fit in time for the Croatia meeting and McClaren has praised the 32-year-old's dedication.
"He's a true patriot and he loves playing for England," McClaren said. "That's still his motivation, that's still his mind-set. He's working towards that (the Croatia game). He's in late training at the moment and that's his target to be back playing and in contention for that squad."
04 10 2007
David Beckham is expected to return to action for the Los Angeles Galaxy next week after an extended layoff through injury, the club said on Thursday.
LA Galaxy president Alexi Lalas said the England international had started light training this week after spraining a ligament in his right knee in late August.
"We are hopeful he will play a part in the next two home games -- not this weekend but the following weekend," Lalas said at a football symposium in Los Angeles.
"But if for one instant, we feel he is physically or mentally not 100 percent ready, he will not play for us nor will he play for England," Lalas added.
Midfielder Beckham joined the LA Galaxy in July, mid-way through the Major League Soccer (MLS) season on a five-year contract which could potentially earn him a reported $250 million, mainly from endorsements.
But because of a nagging ankle injury, he played only 310 minutes in six games for Galaxy before spraining his knee on 29 August.
02 10 2007
David Beckham will not return to the Premier League on loan during the close season in the USA, his spokesman has insisted.
Sunderland are the latest club to be reportedly offering the England midfielder an opportunity during Major League Soccer's break.
But a spokesman for Beckham said the player was contracted to Los Angeles Galaxy for five years and would not be going to another club on any basis.
The spokesman said: "There will be no loan moves or short-term contracts. He is under contract to the Galaxy."
02 10 2007
David Beckham's earning power fell for the second consecutive year, though he is far from strapped for cash.
His Footwork Productions company, set up for off-the-field income opportunities, grossed GBP 11.1 million last year, down GBP 4.4 million from 2005. The total number is not likely to include any salary earned on the pitch.
Only an average of four people were on payroll, though the company did lay out GBP 10.1 million in wages. The GBP 194,000 a week average also was down from the 2005 weekly wage layout of GBP 380,000.
Footwork's directors said they were "pleased" with last year's results, and said a drop in turnover was due to the expiration of contracts throughout the year, with reports that deals with Vodafone, Marks & Spencer and Police had been jointly terminated.
