l3eckham

allegedly chose not to release it after being disappointed with the results.[34][35] Instead of pop, Beckham wanted a more urban sound, working with urban producer Damon Dash for a more RnB and hip hop influence.[27][28] When he was first asked why he was working with Beckham he stated "Because I see how much she gets photographed over here."[2] A Dash-produced track "It's That Simple" featuring M.O.P. premiered on radio stations in July 2003,[28] generating mixed reviews.[28]

Beckham's first single with Telstar, "Let Your Head Go / This Groove",[28] was released in the UK on 29 December 2003, following heavy promotion and many TV appearances across the Christmas period with the video being directed by Andy Hylton. The single charted at Number 3 in the UK.[28] This double A-side lifted "Let Your Head Go" from Beckham's earlier pop-inspired work with "This Groove" one of her Hip-Hop/R'n'B songs and remains Beckham's last single release to date. She is currently the only Spice Girl never to have had a UK solo number one, though she is also the only Spice Girl to have all her single/album releases go Top 10.[citation needed] Outside of the UK, Damon Dash had plans for Beckham in the US, including a potential release of "Let Your Head Go / This Groove" under the name of "Posh Spice Victoria Beckham". The release was proposed for sometime between March to May 2004, but never eventuated.[36]

With the UK media describing her solo music career a failure, combined with a rumoured fall-out between Dash and Fuller, her hip hop album, Come Together, was not released.[1][37] Amidst the collapse of Telstar, remaining plans for Beckham's music career were cancelled.[38][39]

Beckham is the only Spice Girl to have all of her singles and albums chart in the Top 10 of the UK charts, but she also has released fewer albums (1) and singles (4).[citation needed]

[edit] Books
Beckham's autobiography, entitled Learning to Fly, was released on 13 September 2001.[40] The title was taken from a line in a song from the musical Fame, which Beckham had enjoyed as a child. The verse that inspired the title is: "I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly".[41] The book documents her childhood, time during the Spice Girls, her marriage and family life, as well as her career at the time.[42] Learning to Fly became the third best-selling non-fiction title of 2001 and the total UK sales stand at more than 500,000 copies.[43] When the book was first released, it went to Number 1 in the book charts after four weeks of release, relegating Robbie Williams' book to second place.[25] A high-profile guest appearance on Parkinson, watched by nine million people, helped to promote the book.[25] Before the publishing of the book, Hello!, The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday joined to buy the rights to preview and serialise the book before its release. The figure paid was thought to be near £1 million.[10]

Beckham was quoted by a Spanish journalist in 2005 as saying "I've never read a book in my life".[44] She later claimed this was a mistranslation from the original Spanish in which the interview was printed, saying she actually stated that she never had time to finish reading a book because she was always too busy looking after her children.[45]

Beckham's second book, a fashion advice guide, entitled That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between, was published on 27 October 2006.[46] That Extra Half an Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between includes tips from Beckham on fashion, style and beauty,[46] and also contains photography by Mario Testino, Annie Leibovitz and Steven Meisel. The book became another bestseller,[47] and has sold 400,000 copies in Britain alone since it was published in hardcover.[48] The rights have since been sold to the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Portugal, Lithuania, Russia, and most recently China.[48]

[edit] Television
Beckham has shot five official documentaries. The first, dated 11 January 2000, was called Victoria's Secrets, a programme only shown in the UK on Channel 4. It involved Beckham being followed by cameras while also discussing and interviewing other British celebrities, such as Elton John.[49] The second, Being Victoria Beckham, was broadcast in March 2002 and saw Beckham discussing her career as a solo artist with the release of her first album, and also showed her at various photo shoots and recording sessions. The documentary attracted a strong audience of 8.83 million,[50] coming top in its timeslot.[51] One critic described her as "so clearly level-headed, happy with her not inconsiderable lot and seemingly unfazed by the madly intrusive nature of her monumentally ridiculous fame".[52] The third, The Real Beckhams, aired on 24 December 2003 on ITV1 and focused on the Beckhams' move to Madrid from London after David Beckham was signed to Real Madrid. It also featured Victoria Beckham re-launching her solo career and showed her mocking the tabloid stories she reads in the paper every day. The special received an audience of 6.10 million viewers[53] and was later released on DVD on 2 February 2004.[54]

The fourth was entitled Full Length & Fabulous: The Beckhams' 2006 World Cup Party, and followed Victoria and David Beckham organising and making preparations to host a 2006 World Cup Party at a marquee in the grounds of their mansion in Hertfordshire, which aimed to raise money for their charity.[55] Two tickets to attend the ball were auctioned on-line for charity, and sold for £103,000.[56] The documentary aired on 28 May 2006 and showed the event itself, where the menu was designed especially by friend and chef Gordon Ramsay and the charity auction was hosted by Graham Norton.[57] Ramsay catered for 600 guests, with the aid of 40 chefs and 100 waiting staff.[57] The ITV documentary attracted an average of 7.56 million viewers.[58]

To document Victoria Beckham's preparations for her family's move to the US, she signed a deal with NBC for six episodes of a half-hour unscripted reality TV series. Despite original plans for six episodes, the show was cut to a one hour special only as there "just wasn't enough (material) for a series."[59] The show, called Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, aired on 16 July 2007 in the US and Canada. It was heavily scrutinised by the American media and critics, with The New York Post describing it as "an orgy of self-indulgence" and also describing Beckham as "vapid and condescending".[59] The programme was the third-most-watched programme in its time-slot and received viewing figures of 4.9 million in the US, beaten by a repeat of Wife Swap and two sitcoms.[60] The programme aired in Britain on 17 July 2007 on ITV with 3.84 million viewers tuning in.[61] The programme was produced by Simon Fuller who managed her and the Spice Girls on their come-back tour.[62]

In July 2007, it was announced that Beckham would shortly begin filming a cameo appearance as herself in an episode of the second season of ABC's TV series Ugly Betty.[63] The episode, "A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding", aired on 9 November 2007 in the United States and on 23 November in the United Kingdom.[64] Beckham's first line was "This is major", said when bursting through a curtain at a dress fitting for a wedding, in which she was the bridesmaid.[64] Beckham has said she only agreed to the part because of her interest in fashion, and not for the acting opportunity.[64] Despite her forays into television, Beckham has denied plans to embark upon a Hollywood movie career.[65]

In February 2008, it was revealed that Beckham would be the guest judge for the finale of fourth season of Project Runway, which aired on 5 March 2008 in the US.[66]

[edit] Fashion
Beckham has become better recognised as an international style icon, rather than a music artist.[11][67] Beckham made a guest appearance on the catwalk for Maria Grachvogel in 2000, marking her debut as a model at London Fashion Week.[68] Beckham also acted as a British ambassador for Dolce and Gabbana[69] and was briefly the face of Rocawear in 2003.[70]

Beckham designed a limited-edition fashion line for Rock & Republic called VB Rocks in 2004, consisting mainly of jeans for the high end of the market, retailing at approximately $300 in the US.[71] She had previously "hit it off instantly" with Rock & Republic designer, Michael Ball, in Los Angeles. He commented "She not only understands fashion and trends but has been a trend-setter and fashion icon for years."[72]

On 16 January 2006, Beckham walked the runway for Roberto Cavalli at Milan Fashion Week, and was for a period exclusively dressed by him for red-carpet and social events.[73] For the March 2006 issue of Harper's Bazaar, Beckham acted as fashion editor when she styled her close friend, Katie Holmes, for a fashion shoot.[74] In July 2006, Beckham released a line of sunglasses, called dvb Eyewear.[75][76] She has admitted to a personal love of sunglasses, saying "I'm quite obsessed with sunglasses. I collect vintage Guccis and Carreras — they can make virtually any outfit look cool."[9] After Beckham's departure from Rock & Republic, in September 2006, she furthered her fashion ventures by launching her own denim label, of which she acts as creative director. The new line of Beckham's jeans collection is called dvb Style.[48][71] In the same month, Intimately Beckham, a his-and-her fragrance line, was launched at a lavish press conference in Venice.[75][76] Beckham then launched her new official website, dvbstyle.com, which promotes her fashion work.[77][78] She also produced a range of handbags and jewellery in association with the Japanese store, Samantha Thavasa.[75][76]

Career
[edit] Spice Girls

Victoria Beckham performing in 2007 with the Spice GirlsIn 1994, Beckham joined the all-female group, the Spice Girls. In the recordings before her marriage, she is credited with her maiden name as Victoria Adams. The group's first single was called "Touch", and she worked with Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm. Beckham had previously answered an advertisement in The Stage in March 1993 which required girls who were "street smart, extrovert, ambitious and able to sing and dance".[5]

In 1996, the group's first single, "Wannabe", went to Number 1 in the UK and US, and another 29 countries. It was followed by nine further Number 1 singles from their albums Spice, Spiceworld and Forever.[2] Each member of the group received a nickname from the media. Beckham was named "Posh Spice" due to her refined attitude, form-fitting designer outfits, such as little black dresses, and her love of high-heeled footwear.[citation needed] The group was one of the most successful pop acts of the 1990s, selling over fifty-five million records worldwide.[11] After the release of their third album, Forever (UK number 2), which was far less successful than their previous two albums, the Spice Girls stopped recording, leading Beckham to try and build a solo career.[citation needed]

In 2007, the Spice Girls reformed and announced plans to embark upon a reunion tour,[11] from which they were said to have earned £10 million each (approximately $20 million).[12] Victoria had previously stated that she and her former Spice colleagues were enjoying their solo careers in various fields, saying "We're all still doing our own thing."[13] Their "Greatest Hits" album was released in early November, 2007 and the tour began on 2 December 2007. At its advent, Beckham said "I wanted my children to see that Mummy was a pop star. It was the last opportunity for them to stand in a crowd full of people screaming for the Spice Girls."[14] When Beckham had her hair coloured brown for the tour, she stated that her sons immediately reacted by saying "Oh my goodness, it's Posh Spice. She's back."[15] During one Spice Girls performance at London's The O2 Arena, her three sons accompanied her on stage during "Mama", along with the other Spice Girls' children.[16] She was the only member of the group not to sing a solo song on the tour, instead posing in the style of a fashion show on a makeshift catwalk, whereas the others each performed a number from their solo careers.[17] One critic wrote "This time around Posh gets the biggest cheer when she sings her solo lines. She knows it too – and it seems to give her more and more confidence as the show goes on."[18]

Filmmaker Bob Smeaton directed an official film of the tour entitled Spice Girls: Giving You Everything, which was first aired on Fox8 in Australia. It later aired in the UK on 31 December 2007 on BBC One.[19]

As well as their sell-out tour, the Spice Girls were contracted to appear in Tesco advertisements, for which they were paid £1 million each.[20]

[edit] Solo career
On 14 August 2000, Beckham released her first solo single, "Out of Your Mind" in collaboration with Dane Bowers and Truesteppers.[5] The week of release coincided with the release of "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" by Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, resulting in a chart battle dubbed 'Posh vs. Posher' by the tabloids.[21] Following a huge publicity campaign, "Out Of Your Mind" was outsold by Ellis-Bextor, and debuted at Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart.[22] Before the single's release, on 8 July 2000, Beckham made her public solo debut at London's Hyde Park at a concert to raise money for the Prince's Trust charity. She sang "Out of Your Mind" to a 100,000-strong audience.[23]

Beckham then signed a recording contract with her group label Virgin Records.[2] Her next single as a solo artist, "Not Such An Innocent Girl", was released on 17 September 2001.[1] Again, she faced competition in another hugely hyped chart battle, this time with Kylie Minogue's single "Can't Get You Out Of My Head".[24] Despite a huge promotional campaign, Beckham was outsold eight to one, and her single debuted at number 6.[25] Beckham's eponymous debut album, which was released on 1 October 2001, reached Number 10 in the UK album chart[26] The album cost a reputed £5 million to produce and it sold a modest 50,000 copies.[27]

The second and final single to be released from the album was "A Mind of Its Own" on 11 February 2002. The single reached number 6 in the UK[28] and sold 56,500 copies.[29] Rumours soon spread that Beckham was to be dropped by her label for not charting in the Top Three. These were strongly refuted at the time.[30] Beckham commented "You know what newspapers are like, they just like to put all the negative stuff in, but as far as I'm concerned and the record company is concerned it is all great."[30]

A third single, "I Wish", was promoted but never materialised. The single version was a remix featuring Robbie Craig, and was performed on TV on Friday Night's All Wright.[31] Following the announcement of Beckham's second pregnancy, the single was shelved. Beckham and Virgin Records went their separate ways;[32][33] a statement from her publicist read: "No-one has been dropped. The Virgin deal has come to a natural end and both parties have decided not to continue."[32]

Victoria Beckham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham in May 2010
Background information
Birth name Victoria Caroline Adams
Also known as Posh
Born 17 April 1974 (1974-04-17) (age 36)
Harlow, Essex, England
Origin Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire, England
Genres Pop, R&B
Occupations Singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer, businesswoman
Years active 1994–present
Labels Virgin (1996–present)
19/Telstar (2002–04)
Associated acts Spice Girls
Website Official website

Victoria Caroline Beckham (née Adams; born 17 April 1974)[1][2] is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman.

During her rise to fame with the late 1990s girl pop group the Spice Girls, Beckham was dubbed Posh Spice, a nickname first coined by the British pop music magazine, Top of the Pops in the July 1996 issue.[3] Since the Spice Girls pursued separate careers, she has had a solo pop music career, scoring four UK Top 10 singles. Her first single to be released, "Out of Your Mind", reached Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and is her highest chart entry to date. During her solo career, she has been signed to Virgin Records and Telstar Records.

Beckham has found more success as an internationally recognised and photographed style icon. Her career in fashion includes designing a line of jeans for Rock & Republic and later designing her own denim brand, dVb Style. Beckham has brought out her own range of sunglasses and fragrance, entitled Intimately Beckham, which has been released in the UK and the US. In association with the Japanese store Samantha Thavasa and Shiatzy Chen, she has produced a range of handbags and jewellery. In addition, Beckham has released two best-selling books; one her autobiography, the other a fashion guide.

In her television ventures, Beckham has participated in five official documentaries and reality shows about her, some of which include Being Victoria Beckham and The Real Beckhams. Her last documentary was Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, which documented her move to the US with her family in 2007. She has since made a cameo appearance in an episode of American TV series Ugly Betty, and been a guest judge on Project Runway, Germany's Next Topmodel, and American Idol.

She is the wife of English footballer David Beckham and they have three sons: Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. As of 2009, the couple's joint wealth is estimated at £125 million.[4]

Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Spice Girls
2.2 Solo career
2.3 Books
2.4 Television
2.5 Fashion
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
5 Discography
5.1 Studio albums
5.2 Singles
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Early life
Beckham was born to Jacqueline and Anthony Adams at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex and raised in Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire.[5] Anthony was an electronics engineer,[5] and the success of the family business allowed for a comfortable upbringing for Victoria and her siblings,[1] Louise and Christian.[6]

Beckham attended St. Mary's High School in Cheshunt. She was embarrassed by her family's wealth and often begged her father not to drop her off outside the school in their Rolls Royce.[7] Beckham said that during her schooling days, she was a victim of bullying, having been made to feel like an outsider. She commented: "Children were literally picking things up out of the puddles and throwing them at me. And I just stood there, on my own. No one was with me. I didn't have any friends."[8]

She was inspired by watching the musical Fame, and subsequently decided that she would become famous.[9] It was then that her parents enrolled her at Jason Theatre School.[1] At the age of 17, Beckham attended Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey and studied dance and modelling.[1][2] She was also in a band called Persuasion

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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: David Beckham

David Beckham FIFA competition record
The Official David Beckham Website
The David Beckham Academy
MLS player profile
Milan profile

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92.^ Andrea Canales (Archive). "ESPNsoccernet – MLS – Canales: Beckham shows scoring touch against Wizards". Soccernet.espn.go.com. http://soccernet.espn.go....&root=mls&cc=5901 . Retrieved 13 November 2008.
93.^ "Beckham to join Milan in January". BBC Sport. 30 October 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...otball/europe/7697377.stm . Retrieved 30 October 2008.
94.^ "Beckham Milan Update". Major League Soccer. 25 October 2008. http://web.mlsnet.com/med...amp;type=v_free&_mp=1 . Retrieved 25 October 2008. [dead link]

See also
Franchise player
List of current MLS players
References
Books
Beckham, David (2002). David Beckham: My Side. HarperCollinsWillow. (ISBN 0-00-715732-0).
Beckham, David; Freeman, Dean (2001). Beckham: My World. Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. (ISBN 0-340-79270-1).
Beckham, David; Watt, Tom (2003). Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground. HarperCollins. (ISBN 0-06-057093-8).
Crick, Michael (2003). The Boss – The Many Sides of Alex Ferguson. Pocket Books. (ISBN 0-7434-2991-5).
Ferguson, Alex; McIlvanney, Hugh (1999). Managing My Life – My Autobiography. Hodder & Stoughton. (ISBN 0-340-72855-8).
Wahl, Grant (2009). The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America. Crown. (ISBN 978-0-307-40859-4).
Internet
1.^ "David Beckham". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com...s_details.sd?playerid=547 . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
2.^ "Beckham's pride at OBE". BBC Sport. 13 June 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2988104.stm . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
3.^ "David Beckham – Rise of a footballer". BBC. 19 August 2003. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1138600 . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
4.^ Jones, Grahame (16 August 2007). "Beckham's first start for Galaxy full of firsts". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/sp...?coll=la-headlines-sports . Retrieved 16 August 2007. [dead link]
5.^ a b "Beckham reaches new caps landmark". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 28 March 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7970172.stm . Retrieved 4 May 2009.
6.^ a b c d "Los Angeles Galaxy: Player bio". Los Angeles Galaxy. 9 September 2008. http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.c...ype=current&team=t106 . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
7.^ "Beckham joins Real Madrid". BBC Sport. 18 September 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...hi/front_page/2998868.stm . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
8.^ "Beckham bows out with Liga title". BBC Sport. 17 June 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...otball/europe/6759697.stm . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
9.^ Bandini, Paolo (11 January 2007). "Beckham confirms LA Galaxy move". The Guardian (London). http://football.guardian..../story/0,,1988215,00.html . Retrieved 10 May 2007.
10.^ "Beckham's England dream realised". BBC Sport. 10 November 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1016201.stm . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
11.^ "Beckham quits as England captain". BBC Sport. 2 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...teams/england/5138288.stm . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
12.^ "Beckham achieves century landmark". BBC Sport. 26 March 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...nternationals/7315475.stm . Retrieved 24 July 2008.
13.^ a b c d e f "David Beckham has no England future, says Fabio Capello". BBC Sport. 11 August 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8906692.stm . Retrieved 12 August 2010.
14.^ "Beckham is world's highest-paid player". ReDiff. 4 May 2004. http://in.rediff.com/sports/2004/may/04beck.htm . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
15.^ "2004 Year-End Google Zeitgeist". Google. 1 January 2005. http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist2004.html . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
16.^ "Brand it like Beckham". CNN. 6 June 2007. http://money.cnn.com/2007...z/?postversion=2007070605 . Retrieved 21 August 2007.
17.^ "Becks and Bucks". Forbes. 5 September 2007. http://www.forbes.com/for...m_0707autofacescan01.html . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
18.^ a b Wallace, Sam (12 January 2007). "Beckham rejected Milan and Inter to take Galaxy millions". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co...laxy-millions-431736.html . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
19.^ http://www.mlsplayers.org..._07_salary_info_alpha.pdf
20.^ http://www.mlsplayers.org..._08_salary_info_alpha.pdf
21.^ http://www.mlsplayers.org...rmation__alphabetical.pdf
22.^ "Sunday Times – Rich List: David and Victoria Beckham". The Times (London). 27 April 2008. http://www.timesonline.co...t/person/0,,47566,00.html . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
23.^ Culpepper, Chuck (9 July 2007). "BECKHAM – Working-class boy to Man U". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.c...jul/09/sports/sp-beckham9 . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
24.^ "Blame yourself Posh, Beckham's mum yells". The Daily Mail (London). 28 September 2007. http://www.dailymail.co.u...nd-bitter-rift-Becks.html . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
25.^ "Will Ted Beckham's heart attack end his bitter rift with Becks?". Mail on Sunday. 12 October 2004. http://www.mailonsunday.c...h-Beckhams-mum-yells.html . Retrieved 9 September 2008.
26.^ "American Idols". W magazine. 1 August 2007. http://www.wmagazine.com/...teven_klein?currentPage=2 . Retrieved 24 February 2009.
27.^ "Beckhams 'to send son to LA Jewish nursery'". Jewish Chronicle. 18 April 2008. http://www.thejc.com/arti...end-son-la-jewish-nursery . Retrieved 7 January 2009. [dead link]
28.^ Fifield, Dominic (14 July 2007). "Beckham launches into the Galaxy". The Guardian (London). http://football.guardian...._Story/0,,2126173,00.html . Retrieved 14 July 2007.
29.^ "Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground". http://books.google.com/b...onepage&q&f=false .
30.^ The FA – Becks' Brimsdown boost, article from 24 September 2004 Retrieved 7 July 2007[dead link]
31.^ "Second leg" refers to the second of two matches that are played to decide the tie. The scores from the two matches are added together to determine the winner.
32.^ Beckham's pride at OBE BBC Sport; 13 June 2003, Retrieved 22 October 2008
33.^ The most famous comment was Alan Hansen's "You can't win anything with kids", quoted in The Boss 405. Beckham scored United's goal from a distance of around 30 metres.
34.^ "Euro 96 stars going strong". FA. 21 January 2005. http://www.thefa.com/Engl...005/01/Euro96_Feature.htm . Retrieved 16 July 2007. [dead link]
35.^ Sky Sports' commentator Martin Tyler's words "You'll see that over and over again" proved prophetic as the goal was voted Premier League Goal of the Decade in 2003.
36.^ "Beckham's Golden Boots". rediff.com. 27 April 2004. http://specials.rediff.co...ports/2004/apr/27pic2.htm .
37.^ 100 GREATEST SPORTING MOMENTS – RESULTS Channel 4
38.^ "English PFA Young Player Of The Year Award". napit.co.uk. http://www.napit.co.uk/vi...tball/awards/pfayoung.php . Retrieved 16 July 2007.
39.^ "Fixture List for 1997/98 Season". geocities.com. Archived from the original on 2009-07-31. http://web.archive.org/we...m/Track/5880/fix1998.html . Retrieved 16 July 2007.
40.^ "Man Utd's flawed genius?". BBC News, 7 January 2000. 7 January 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/593905.stm . Retrieved 6 October 2005.
41.^ The Boss 469.
42.^ Harris, Nick (6 September 2007). "Ferguson will never talk to the BBC again". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co...the-bbc-again-401487.html . Retrieved 30 April 2009.
43.^ "Did "hatchet man" target Beckham?". ESPN Socernet, 2 April 2002. http://www.soccernet.com/...2/20020411featwright.html . Retrieved 7 October 2005.
44.^ "Beckham signs new contract". BBC News. 12 May 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...ewsid_1976000/1976699.stm . Retrieved 7 October 2005.
45.^ "Man Utd play down Arsenal rift". BBC News. 19 February 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...ams/m/man_utd/2778985.stm .
46.^ Channel4.com 21 December 2008
47.^ Goal.com 28 April 2009, accessed 27 August 2009
48.^ Metro 28 April 2009 accessed 27 August 2009
49.^ Sport.co.uk
50.^ walesonline.co.uk
51.^ The Sun 27 March 2008
52.^ Roach, Stuart (18 February 2003). "Will Becks give Man Utd the boot?". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...ams/m/man_utd/2775269.stm . Retrieved 6 October 2005.
53.^ "Beckham's pride at OBE". BBC News. 13 June 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2988104.stm . Retrieved 6 October 2005.
54.^ Taylor, Daniel (11 June 2003). "Beckham to stay in Spain". The Guardian (London). http://football.guardian....s_Story/0,,974864,00.html . Retrieved 24 May 2006.
55.^ Equivalent to, at the time, £25 million or US$41 million.
56.^ "Beckham joins Real Madrid". BBC. 18 June 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...hi/front_page/2998868.stm . Retrieved 25 July 2010.
57.^ "Real unveil Beckham". BBC. 2 July 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3037824.stm . Retrieved 25 July 2010.
58.^ Bolton, Sally (3 June 2003). "The number 23". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk...article/0,,990894,00.html . Retrieved 9 June 2007.
59.^ "What Did the Real Madrid Leave behind for Asia?". China Daily. 215 August 2003. http://www.chinadaily.com...-08/15/content_255106.htm . Retrieved 25 July 2010.
60.^ The Beckham Experiment, Grant Wahl, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2010 paperback edition, p.77
61.^ "BBC SPORT | Football | Other European | Beckham bags Watford man". BBC News. 2003-10-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...otball/europe/3229703.stm . Retrieved 2010-08-13.
62.^ 2003-04 Real Madrid

Charitable work
Beckham has supported UNICEF since his days at Manchester United and in January 2005, the English national team captain became a Goodwill Ambassador with a special focus on UNICEF's Sports for Development program. More recently Beckham has pledged his support for the current Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign.

On 17 January 2007, Rebecca Johnstone, a 19-year-old cancer patient from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, received a surprise phone call from Beckham. After the conversation, he sent her a Real Madrid jersey with his signature on it. Rebecca died on 29 January 2007.[188]

Beckham is a spokesman for Malaria No More, a New York City-based non-profit launched in 2006. Malaria No More's mission is to end deaths caused by malaria in Africa. Beckham appears in a 2007 public service announcement advertising the need for inexpensive bed nets. The TV spot currently airs in the U.S. on Fox Networks, including Fox Soccer Channel, and can also be seen on YouTube.[189]

Since joining Major League Soccer, Beckham has been a very public advocate in the U.S. for related charities such as "MLS W.O.R.K.S." On 17 August 2007, he conducted a youth clinic in Harlem, along with other current and former MLS players. This was in advance of his first New York City area match the following day against the New York Red Bulls. That team's Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Ángel were also with Beckham, teaching skills to disadvantaged youth to benefit FC Harlem Lions.[190]

Appearances in films
Bend It Like Beckham
Beckham never personally appeared in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, except in archive footage. He and his wife wanted to make cameo appearances, but scheduling proved difficult, so the director used lookalikes instead.[191]

The Goal! Trilogy
Beckham makes a cameo appearance with Zinedine Zidane and Raúl, in the 2005 film Goal!: The Dream Begins. Lookalike Andy Harmer, who played him in Bend It Like Beckham, also appears here in one party scene as Beckham.[192] Beckham himself appears in the sequel Goal! 2: Living the Dream... [193] in a larger role, when the film's lead character gets transferred to Real Madrid. This time the story centres around the Real Madrid team, and besides Beckham, other real life Real Madrid players also appear on and off the pitch, alongside the fictional characters. Beckham appeared in Goal! 3: Taking on the World, which was released straight to DVD on 15 June 2009.[194]

Despite moving to Los Angeles, California, Beckham has expressed no personal interest in pursuit of acting roles, saying he is too "stiff".[195]

Records
Beckham has captained England 59 times,[196] one of the most in England's history.

With his free kick goal against Ecuador in the second round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Beckham gained membership into two of football's exclusive clubs: he became the only English player — and the 21st player regardless of nationality — to score in three world cups; Real Madrid teammate Raúl also achieved this feat a few days earlier.[197] It also made him only the fifth player in World Cup history to score twice from a direct free kick; the other four were Pelé, Roberto Rivelino, Teófilo Cubillas, and Bernard Genghini (Beckham had previously scored this way against Colombia in the first round of the 1998 FIFA World Cup). All three goals were against South American teams (Colombia, Argentina, and Ecuador) and from set pieces (the two aforementioned free kicks and a penalty against Argentina).

Tattoos
Beckham has at least 17 tattoos adorning his body, including recent black-and-white image of Christ drawn on his right side, based on a painting called "The Man Of Sorrows" by Catholic artist Matthew R. Brooks done after death of his grandfather in 2009.[198] There are also names of his sons Romeo, Cruz and Brooklyn, name of his wife Victoria, written in Hindi, because Beckham thought it would be "tacky" to have it in English. On his right shoulder, there's an angel with the text 'In the face of adversity'.[198] Another tattoo is a Bible verse written in Hebrew, reads אני לדודי ודודי לי הרעה בשושנים, translated into: "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, that shepherds among the lilies." In 2004 Beckham added the four-by-six-inch "winged cross" neck tattoo prior to England's three-nation tournament soccer match against Japan in the City of Manchester Stadium.[198][199] In his autobiography "David Beckham: My Side", Becks reveals some of his thoughts on tattoos: "The idea came to me much later, a little while after Brooklyn was born. I was talking to Mel B and her then-husband, Jimmy Gulzar, and the subject of tattoos came up. I ended up going to this Dutch guy who'd done all of Jimmy's. I'd finally realised what I wanted a tattoo to represent. Mine are all about the people in my life, my wife and sons, who I want with me always. When you see me, you see the tattoos. You see an expression of how I feel about Victoria and the boys. They're part of me."[199]

Affair claims
In April 2004, the British tabloid News of the World carried claims by Beckham's former personal assistant Rebecca Loos that he and Loos had an extramarital affair.[162][163] A week later, the Malaysian-born Australian model Sarah Marbeck claimed that she had slept with Beckham on two occasions. Beckham dismissed both accusations as "ludicrous".[164] There has never been any proof of any of the allegations of Beckham's claimed infidelity.[165] In an interview with W Magazine, Victoria Beckham told a reporter, "I'm not going to lie: it was a really tough time. It was hard for our entire families. But I realised a lot of people have a price." [166]

Legal issues
In December 2008, Beckham and his bodyguard were sued by paparazzi photographer Emicles da Mata, who claimed that he was assaulted by them when attempting to take a picture of Beckham in Beverly Hills. Da Mata is seeking unspecified damages for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.[167]

In September 2010 Beckham announced that he is suing prostitute Irma Nici and several others over claims in the magazine In Touch that he had had sex with her.[168]

Fame beyond football
Beckham's fame extends beyond the pitch; in much of the world his name is "as instantly recognisable as that of multinational companies like Coca-Cola and IBM."[169] Beckham's relationship and marriage to Victoria, who has been famous in her own right as part of the musical group Spice Girls, contributed to David's celebrity beyond football.

Beckham became known as a fashion plate, and together with Victoria, the couple became lucrative spokespeople sought after by clothing designers, health and fitness specialists, fashion magazines, perfume and cosmetics manufacturers, hair stylists, exercise promoters, and spa and recreation companies. One recent example is a new line of aftershave and fragrances called David Beckham Instinct.[170] In 2002 Beckham was hailed as the ultimate "metrosexual" by the man who invented the term[171][172] and has been described as such by numerous other articles since. The Beckhams were reportedly paid $13.7 million in 2007 to launch his fragrance line in the US. In the world of fashion, David has already appeared on the covers of many magazines. U.S. covers have included the men's magazine Details, and with his wife for the August 2007 issue of W.[173] According to Google, "David Beckham" was searched for more than any other sports topic on their site in 2003 and 2004.[174] The search engine Ask Jeeves named Beckham in December 2009 as the third most online searched person in the last decade. The findings are based on online activity by British users of the search engine.[175]

Upon their arrival in Los Angeles on 12 July 2007, the night before Beckham's formal introduction, Los Angeles International Airport was filled with paparazzi and news reporters.[176] On the next night, Victoria appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to talk about the their move to LA, and presented Leno with a number 23 Galaxy jersey with his own name on the back. Victoria also talked about her NBC TV show Victoria Beckham: Coming to America[177] On 22 July, a private welcoming party was held for the couple at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. A-list celebrities attending included Steven Spielberg, Jim Carrey, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Oprah Winfrey.[178]

Beckham's many endorsement deals make him one of the most recognisable athletes throughout the world. On 31 December 2008, it was announced that Pepsi Co. was ending its endorsement deal with the player after a 10-year collaboration.[179] Beckham has several eponymous video games, including Go! Go! Beckham! Adventure on Soccer Island, a platform game for the Game Boy Advance, and David Beckham Soccer, a football game for the Xbox.[180][181] In August 2010, Beckham signed an endorsement deal with EA SPORTS to become brand ambassador for EA SPORTS Active 2.[182]

Beckham visited Afghanistan in May 2010 for a morale-boosting visit to British troops fighting the Taliban insurgency.[183][184][185] The appearance of Beckham as well as British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Defence Secretary Liam Fox was believed to have prompted a Taliban attack on Kandahar airfield

Statistics
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other[152] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Manchester United 1992–93 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1993–94 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Preston North End (loan) 1994–95 5 2 0 0 0 0 – 0 0 5 2
Manchester United 1994–95 4 0 2 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 10 1
1995–96 33 7 3 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 40 8
1996–97 36 8 2 1 0 0 10 2 1 1 49 12
1997–98 37 9 4 2 0 0 8 0 1 0 50 11
1998–99 34 6 7 1 1 0 12 2 1 0 55 9
1999–2000 31 6 – 0 0 12 2 5 0 48 8
2000–01 31 9 2 0 0 0 12 0 1 0 46 9
2001–02 28 11 1 0 0 0 13 5 1 0 43 16
2002–03 31 6 3 1 5 1 13 3 0 0 52 11
Total 265 62 24 6 12 1 83 15 10 1 399 87
Real Madrid 2003–04 32 3 4 2 – 7 1 2 1 45 7
2004–05 30 4 0 0 – 8 0 0 0 38 4
2005–06 31 3 3 1 – 7 1 0 0 41 5
2006–07 23 3 2 1 – 6 0 0 0 31 4
Total 116 13 9 4 – 28 2 2 1 155 20
Los Angeles Galaxy 2007 5 0 0 0 – – 2 1 7 1
2008 25 5 0 0 – – 0 0 25 5
Milan (loan) 2008–09 18 2 0 0 – 0 0 2 0 20 2
Los Angeles Galaxy 2009 11 2 0 0 – – 4 0 15 2
Milan (loan) 2009–10 11 0 0 0 – 2 0 0 0 13 0
Total 29 2 0 0 – 2 0 2 0 33 2
Los Angeles Galaxy 2010 9 2 0 0 – – 1 0 10 2
Total 50 9 0 0 – – 7 1 57 10
Career total 465 88 33 10 12 1 113 17 21 3 644 119

[153] [154]

England national team
Year Apps Goals
1996 3 0
1997 9 0
1998 8 1
1999 7 0
2000 10 0
2001 10 5
2002 9 3
2003 9 4
2004 12 2
2005 9 1
2006 8 1
2007 5 0
2008 8 0
2009 8 0
Total 115 17

David Beckham Academy
In 2005, Beckham founded the David Beckham Academy football school, operating from two sites: in London and in Los Angeles, California. Further sites are planned at Cabo São Roque in Natal, Brazil, and in Asia.

It was announced in late 2009 that Beckham's Academy in London was "likely to close by the end of the year", with a mobile academy, travelling around the UK, taking its place.[155]

Personal life

David and Victoria Beckham at the 2007 British Grand Prix at SilverstoneIn 1997, Beckham started dating Victoria Adams, after she attended a Manchester United match. She was famously known as "Posh Spice" of the pop music group Spice Girls, one of the world's top pop groups at the time, and his team was also enjoying a great run of success. Therefore, their relationship instantly attracted a great deal of media attention. The couple were dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the media. He proposed to Victoria on 24 January 1998 in a restaurant in Cheshunt, England.

On July 4, 1999, David and Victoria married at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland. The wedding attracted tremendous media coverage. Beckham's teammate Gary Neville was the best man, and the couple's infant son, Brooklyn, was the ring bearer. The media were kept away from the ceremony, as the Beckhams had an exclusive deal with OK! Magazine, but newspapers were still able to obtain photographs showing them sitting on golden thrones.[156] 437 staff were employed for the wedding reception, which was estimated to have cost £500,000.[157]

In 1999, the Beckhams purchased their most famous home in Hertfordshire, unofficially dubbed Beckingham Palace, estimated to be worth £7.5 million. David and Victoria have three sons together: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 4 March 1999 in London), Romeo James Beckham (born 1 September 2002 in London, England), and Cruz David Beckham (born 20 February 2005 in Madrid, Spain (the word "cruz" is Spanish for "cross"). Both Brooklyn and Romeo's godfather is Elton John and their godmother is Elizabeth Hurley.[158] They have stated that they would like to have more children, especially a daughter.[159]

In April 2007, the family purchased their new Italian villa in Beverly Hills, to coincide with Beckham's transfer to the Los Angeles Galaxy in July. The mansion, priced at $22 million, is near the homes of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and talk-show host Jay Leno, in an exclusive gated community in the hills overlooking the city.

In September 2008, several media reported that David and Victoria turned to Buddhism[160].

In January 2010, Beckham announced that he was taking a pasta course at a local cooking school in Milan to fulfill a longtime desire of his.[161]

As of 28 October 2009

1. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Reports
1. 26 June 1998 Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens Colombia 2–0 2–0 1998 FIFA World Cup [2]
2. 24 March 2001 Anfield, Liverpool Finland 2–1 2–1 2002 FIFA World Cup Qual. [3]
3. 25 May 2001 Pride Park, Derby Mexico 3–0 4–0 Friendly match [4]
4. 6 June 2001 Olympic Stadium, Athens Greece 2–0 2–0 2002 FIFA World Cup Qual. [5]
5. 6 October 2001 Old Trafford, Manchester Greece 2–2 2–2 2002 FIFA World Cup Qual. [6]
6. 10 November 2001 Old Trafford, Manchester Sweden 1–0 1–1 Friendly match [7]
7. 7 June 2002 Sapporo Dome, Sapporo Argentina 1–0 1–0 2002 FIFA World Cup [8]
8. 12 October 2002 Tehelné pole, Bratislava Slovakia 1–1 2–1 UEFA Euro 2004 Qual. [9]
9. 16 October 2002 St Mary's Stadium, Southampton Macedonia 1–1 2–2 UEFA Euro 2004 Qual. [10]
10. 29 March 2003 Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz Liechtenstein 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2004 Qual. [11]
11. 2 April 2003 Stadium of Light, Sunderland Turkey 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2004 Qual. [12]
12. 20 August 2003 Portman Road, Ipswich Croatia 1–0 3–1 Friendly match [13]
13. 6 September 2003 Gradski, Skopje Macedonia 2–1 2–1 UEFA Euro 2004 Qual. [14]
14. 18 August 2004 St James' Park, Newcastle Ukraine 1–0 3–0 Friendly match [15]
15. 9 October 2004 Old Trafford, Manchester Wales 2–0 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup Qual. [16]
16. 30 March 2005 St James' Park, Newcastle Azerbaijan 2–0 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup Qual. [17]
17. 25 June 2006 Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart Ecuador 1–0 1–0 2006 FIFA World Cup [18]

Coaching career
Due to an injury suffered to his torn left Achilles tendon, Beckham was forced to miss the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a player. On 14 May 2010 it was announced that Beckham would work as a mediator between management and the players, and as an English member of the coaching staff for the England national football team at the tournament.[140] As an agreement between Beckham, his representatives, his club, Los Angeles Galaxy and Fabio Capello, the former England captain was on the plane to South Africa on June 2.

Discipline
Former manager Alex Ferguson said that he "practised with a discipline to achieve an accuracy that other players wouldn't care about."[141] He maintained his training routine at Real Madrid and even when his relationship with management was strained in early 2007, Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón and manager Fabio Capello praised Beckham for maintaining his professionalism and commitment to the club.[142][143]

Beckham was the first England player ever to collect two red cards and the first England captain to be sent off.[144] Beckham's most notorious red card was during the 1998 FIFA World Cup after Argentina's Diego Simeone had fouled him, Beckham lashed out with his leg and the Argentine fell.

He amassed 41 yellow cards and four red cards for Real Madrid.[145]

Honours
Club
Manchester United
Premier League (6): 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03
FA Cup (2): 1995–96, 1998–99
UEFA Champions League (1): 1998–99
Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999
FA Community Shield (4): 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997
FA Youth Cup (1): 1992

Beckham had assisted in three of England's four total goals in those two games,[131] and he stated his desire to continue to play for England after his move to Major League Soccer.

On 22 August 2007, Beckham played in a friendly for England against Germany, becoming the first ever to play for England while with a non-European club team.[132] On 21 November 2007, Beckham earned his 99th cap against Croatia, setting up a goal for Peter Crouch to tie the game at 2–2. Following the 2–3 loss, England failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 Finals. Despite this, Beckham said that he has no plans to retire from international football and wanted to continue playing for the national team.[133] After being passed over by new England coach and Beckham's former manager at Real Madrid, Fabio Capello, for a friendly against Switzerland which would have given him his hundredth cap; Beckham admitted that he was not in shape at the time, as he had not played a competitive match in three months.[134]

On 20 March 2008, Beckham was recalled to the England squad by Capello for the friendly against France in Paris on 26 March. Beckham became only the fifth Englishman to win 100 caps. Capello had hinted on 25 March 2008 that Beckham had a long term future in his side ahead of crucial qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.[135] On 11 May 2008, Capello included an in-form Beckham in his 31 man England squad to face the United States at Wembley Stadium on 28 May before the away fixture with Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June. Beckham was honoured before the match by receiving an honorary gold cap representing his 100th cap from Bobby Charlton, and was given a standing ovation from the crowd. He played well and assisted John Terry on the match-winning goal. When substituted at half-time for David Bentley, the pro-Beckham crowd booed the decision.[136] In a surprise move, Capello handed Beckham the captaincy for England's friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June 2008. The match was the first time since the 2006 World Cup that Beckham had skippered England and marked a dramatic turnaround for Beckham. In two years, he had gone from being dropped completely from the England squad to being reinstated (though temporarily) as England captain.[137]

During the 2010 World Cup Qualifier against Belarus in which England won 3–1 in Minsk, Beckham came off the bench in the 87th minute to earn his 107th cap making him England's 3rd highest capped player in history, over-taking Bobby Charlton in the process. On 11 February 2009, Beckham drew level with Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps for an English outfield player, coming on as a substitute for Stewart Downing in a friendly match against Spain.[138] On 28 March 2009, Beckham surpassed Moore to hold the record outright when he came on as a substitute in a friendly against Slovakia, providing the assist for a goal from Wayne Rooney in the process.[139]

In all, Beckham had made 16 appearances out of a possible 20 for England under Capello until his ruptured Achilles tendon of March 2010 ruled him out of selection for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.[13] His last game for England before injury had been on 14 October 2009 as a substitute in England's last World Cup qualifying game, which ended England 3 – 0 Belarus.[13] While unable to play, Beckham still went to the tournament as part of the England back-room staff, acting as a mediator between management and the players.[140]

After a poor performance from England at the World Cup Capello remained as manager, but was under pressure to revamp the England squad for the imminent UEFA Euro 2012 qualification campaign. He unveiled a new team at the next England match, a home friendly game against Hungary on 11 August 2010, with Beckham still unavailable for selection but aiming for a return to playing in the MLS by the following month.[13] In the post-match interview, Capello said of the prospect of the now 35-year-old Beckham playing any future competitive matches for England, that "I need to change it. David is a fantastic player but I think we need new players for the future", referring to the new players that play in Beckham's right midfield position, including Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson, adding "This is the future of the team under Fabio Capello or another manager".[13] He said that Beckham may be selected for one last friendly game, stating, "If he is fit, I hope we will play one more game here at Wembley so the fans can say goodbye". In response to the comments, Beckham's agent released a statement reiterating Beckham's position that he had no desire to retire from international football, and would always be make himself available for selection for England if fit and if needed.[13]

International goals