MAIN Sports Sports Stars David Beckham

He was born May 2, 1975 in Leytonstone, London, to Ted and Sandra Beckham - two Manchester United supporters who often took the young David to see their favorite team play.

David Beckham was all of 15 when he signed on with Manchester United as a trainee, helping to win the FA Youth Cup in May 1992.

His Premier League debut eventually came in 1995 at age 19. The following year his star performance came with his most famous goal - from the halfway line against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park which later made the list of 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.

His most notable season followed in 1998-99 when he helped Man United win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions league.

Since then, Beckham's rise to stardom continues to rest on his remarkable freekick skills which some fans liken to physical genius. His much-publicized marriage in 1999 to Spice Girl and media celebrity Victoria Adams, (a.k.a. Posh Spice) only added to his aura of Hollywood celebrity.

David Beckham Worldwide

If Beckham was not a household name internationally by 2002, it almost certainly was following the hit movie, Bend It Like Beckham, released that year in which a young female soccer player follows her dream to be a soccer great.

In 2004, Beckham signed a 4-year contract with Real Madrid of Spain worth up to $41 million in salary and endorsements. He lived up to all the hoopla, improving upon his Man United stats by scoring five times in his first 16 matches, and engratiating himself with the Real Madrid fans.

His recent performance has been less than stellar, however, and following England's defeat at the 2006 World Cup Beckham stepped down as captain.

In January 2007 he was in negotiations with Real Madrid about a new contract. But also discussed was a spot with American major league soccer for a possible jump to a US team post-season.

Beckham Moves to America

Beckham finally made the much-reported announcement of a new five-year contract with the LA Galaxy team on January 11, 2006. The total $250 million deal translates to $1 million a week - the biggest in world sport.

What this may mean for Beckham's career remains to be seen, but the move to America can only help put a struggling Major League Soccer on the world map. (Coming up, watch for national U.S. TV coverage of most Major League Soccer games on ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel, HDNet and Univision Spanish-language channels.)

The 32-year-old midfielder will be officially unveiled as a Galaxy star on Friday, July 13 during a live press conference.

Already the owner of a soccer school in Los Angeles, the David Beckham Academy, Beckham and wife Victoria have bought a seven-bedroom Beverly Hills property for $22 million nearby.

Away from the glare of cameras, the Beckhams have three children. First son, Brooklyn, is now eight, and Romeo is five. Their most recent addition is son Cruz, born in 2005.

David Beckham.com - The official site, complete with news headlines, photos, blog, bio & career highlights.

David Beckham - Wikipedia - The complete biography, photo, related links.

LA Galaxy - The official site including the latest news, scores & schedule, team rosters, feature stories, on-demand video streaming of live games.

ESPN Soccernet - David Beckham Stats, News - Complete bio, stats, game schedule.

Beckham Magazine - The online fanzine featuriing news stories from various sources around the Web, photo galleries, fan forum & message boards, mobile phone wallpapers, screen savers.

David Beckham Watch - News updates, full biography, picture galleries.

Fotos de David Beckham - Literally hundreds of the most recent as well as archived photos of Beckham in photo shoots, on the field, public appearances and candid shots

also see -> Michael Owen | Ronaldo | Ronaldinho

Cristiano Ronaldo | Wayne Rooney | Soccer

2010 FIFA World Cup