David Robert Joseph Beckham was born May 2nd, 1975, in Leytonstone, England. As a student in Essex, Beckham won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills Award at the age of 11, making his football talent evident at an early age.

bright like beckham

After being signed as a trainee July 8, 1991, the Bobby Charlton fan played as a substitute for Andrei Kanchelskis on September 23, 1992. The game against Brighton marked Beckham's debut as a United player.

Winner of the 1992 F.A. Youth Cup and runner-up a year later, Beckham was finally signed as a professional United player in January 1993. The 18-year-old soccer pro played in his first Champions League game and contributed a goal to the team's final win.

Despite his talent, Beckham only made his full debut in April 1995. He became a first team regular in the 1996-'97 seasons as a right midfielder. In 1996, not only did England get a taste of Beckham's crossing, free kick and long shot talent, but the player also won the F.A. Premier League, Cup and Charity Shield; all in the same year. 1996 was also the year Beckham made his international debut in a game against Moldova.

negative blows

The same summer, Beckham scored his first international goal in the June 26, 1998 game against Colombia, although he made waves in a negative way. During the 1998 World Cup in France, Beckham kicked Diego Simeone lightly in the back of the leg, in retaliation for having been fouled by the player.

Needles to say, Beckham's vengeful kick basically kicked himself -- out of the game, that is. Outnumbered by Argentina, England lost the game (at least that's what they attribute their loss to), and Beckham's nation was unforgiving, to say the least.

The tabloids later followed Beckham off the soccer field and onto his posh wedding to Spice Girl Victoria Adams, in July 1999. In March of 2000, the couple welcomed their son Brooklyn Joseph to the world. Beckham's personal life has since overshadowed the negative media stories focusing on his bad temper, shifting to stories on to his wife, who is also a tabloid favorite.

return to success

Back to soccer though: In 1999, Beckham won another F.A. Cup, and came in 2nd in the European Ballon d'Or awards and as FIFA's World Player of the Year. He also won a Champions League title, an Intercontinental Cup and an English league title that same year.

But despite the honors, Beckham's temper had not improved; something that was evident after he received a red-card for tackling a Necaxa player at the FIFA World Club Championships.

David Beckham: My Story, the United Manchester midfielder's autobiography, was released in 1998.

Beckham also made headlines after his Ferrari had apparently been sabotaged, and there were even attempts to kidnap Beckham's eldest son, Brooklyn. David and Victoria Beckham welcomed their second son, Romeo, into the world in September 2002.

At the 2002 World Cup, in another tense matchup with Argentina, Beckham redeemed himself in the eyes of English fans when he converted a penalty kick that eventually gave England the victory. The red card he received four years earlier had been forgiven.

a soccer powerhouse

In June 2003, it was announced that Real Madrid would pay a transfer fee of $41 million for David Beckham, who joined a team full of star footballers like Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, and Ronaldo. His latest autobiography, Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground, is an in-depth look at Beckham's rags to riches story, his career highlights with Manchester United, and how he balances super-stardom with his life as a family man.

In entertainment news, Beckham became an even bigger name when the sleeper hit of 2003, Bend It Like Beckham, paid homage to the soccer player in its title. Beckham is also getting press as the poster boy for "metrosexuals" worldwide.