David Beckham - The highs and lows
28 March 2008 - 10:7
- David Beckham - The highs and lows
After Beckham won his 100th cap against France in Paris, here are the highs and
lows of David Beckhams career:-
- HIGH – David Beckham was taken on as a trainee in 1991
- HIGH - 1992 makes his debut for Manchester United’s first team and
is part of the side who win the FA Youth Cup.
- HIGH - Signs professional contract at Old Trafford in 1993.
- HIGH - In 1996 he collected a Premiership winners' medal and FA Cup winners'
medal helping United win the double.
- HIGH - Scores that memorable goal on opening day of the 1996 season at Wimbledon,
lobbing goalkeeper Neil Sullivan from the halfway line.
- HIGH - September 1996 makes his debut for England in the 3-0 World Cup qualifier
win in Moldova.
- LOW - Is quizzed by police a month later after Southampton fans allege he
hitched up his shorts revealing his buttocks. Beckham denies the accusation
and no action is taken.
- HIGH - Collects another championship winners' medal in May 1997.
- HIGH – Voted 1997 PFA Young Player of the Year.
- HIGH - In July 1997, signs a £8million new five-year deal with United,
and a sponsorship deal with Brylcreem, worth £1million.
- LOW - Has bullets with his name carved on them sent to him through the post.
Also complains to police that he has been targeted by a mysterious stalker
who has lurked near his home and at the team's training ground.
- HIGH - Picked for Glenn Hoddle's World Cup squad for France 98.
- LOW - Left out of the starting line-up for England's opening two World Cup
matches against Tunisia and Romania, as Hoddle says he is "unfocused".
- HIGH - scores his first England goal from a free-kick after being recalled
for third match against Colombia.
- LOW – Probably Beckham’s darkest hour, sent off against Argentina
for a retaliatory kick against Diego Simeone, and England go out on penalties.
Angry England fans later hang an effigy of him in a United shirt outside a
London pub.
- HIGH - Signs new United deal and makes impressive start to new 1998 Premiership
season.
- HIGH – His first son Brooklyn is born.
- LOW - Criticised by church leaders after appearing in a magazine photo-shoot
draped in crucifixes.
- HIGH - Helps Manchester United complete the famous treble of FA Cup, Premier
League title and Champions League after United stage a remarkable late recovery
to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in Barcelona.
- HIGH - Marries Victoria Adams in a lavish ceremony at Luttrellstown Castle
in Ireland.
- LOW - Caught on camera aiming a V-sign at Leeds fans after some of the visiting
supporters sing offensive chants about Beckham's wife and child during league
match at Old Trafford.
- LOW – Victoria Beckham admits David likes to wear her underwear, but
later claims it was a joke.
- LOW - Sent off for a high challenge on Jose Milian as United are held to
a 1-1 draw by Mexican club Necaxa in the opening game of the World Club Championship
in Brazil.
- LOW - Left out of Manchester United's team for the Premiership match against
Leeds in February after reporting late for training because his son Brooklyn
was ill.
- HIGH – Picks up his fourth championship winner's medal as United win
the title by a record 18 points in May 2000.
- LOW - Aims gesture at abusive England fans following defeat in the opening
game of Euro 2000 against Portugal. England bow out in group stages of the
tournament.
- HIGH – Stand-in boss Peter Taylor makes Beckham England captain for
the November friendly with Italy in Turin.
- HIGH - Sven-Goran Eriksson appointed Beckham the permanent captain when
he took over as England boss in January 2001.
- HIGH - Collects his fifth Premiership title with Manchester United in May
2001.
- HIGH – Scores a superb last-minute free-kick equaliser in 2-2 draw
against Greece in October which ensures England's World Cup qualification.
- HIGH – Made the short-list for World Footballer of the Year in November.
- HIGH - Voted the BBC's 2001 Sport Personality of the Year in December.
- HIGH – Beckham finishes runner-up behind Luis Figo in World Footballer
of the Year award.
- HIGH - Scores a sensational goal from 30 yards to set United on the way
to a 2-0 away success over Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League quarter-final
first leg.
- LOW - His night is marred by a terrible tackle from Diego Tristan and is
stretchered off with an ankle injury. It is later revealed he has suffered
only bruising.
- LOW - Beckham returns to the team for the return leg against Deportivo but
hobbles off after breaking a bone in his foot following a tackle by Deportivo's
Pedro Duscher.
- HIGH - Makes rapid recovery to feature in the World Cup for England, scoring
a memorable penalty winner against Argentina before a quarter-final defeat
by Brazil.
- HIGH - Wife Victoria gives birth to the couple's second son, Romeo.
- LOW - Five men are arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap his wife but
later cleared.
- LOW - Captains England in the first half of a humiliating 3-1 defeat by
Australia at Upton Park.
- LOW - Suffers a gash above his eye amid reports the injury was caused accidentally
by a boot kicked by boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
- LOW - Left out of the starting line-up for the crucial Champions League
quarter-final second-leg clash with Real Madrid. He comes on as a second-half
substitute and scores twice, but the damage has already been done and United
lose 6-5 on aggregate.
- HIGH – Wins another premiership title as United lift the trophy at
Everton.
- LOW - Less than two weeks later suffers suspected fractured thumb in 2-1
win over South Africa.
- LOW - United accept bid from Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta
on June 10, five days before election.
- HIGH - Awarded an OBE in Queen's Birthday Honours list.
- HIGH - United accept bid from Real Madrid and player agrees personal terms.
- HIGH - Becomes an immediate favourite with Real Madrid supporters, scoring
five times in his first sixteen games.
- LOW - Real fail to win either the Spanish league or the Champions' League.
- LOW - Former personal assistant Rebecca Loos claims she and Beckham had
an extramarital affair.
- LOW - England crash out of Euro 2004 at the quarter-final stage with Beckham
missing two penalties along the way, the first against France in a 2-1 defeat,
the second in a shoot-out defeat against hosts Portugal.
- LOW - Makes the headlines again after claiming he deliberately elbowed Wales'
Ben Thatcher to get a yellow card which means he is suspended for the next
match of World Cup qualification, a match he would have missed anyway through
injury.
- HIGH - Becomes a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is a part of London's successful
bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
- LOW - Another disappointing season with Real as they crash out of the Champions'
League in the last sixteen and finish second to Barcelona in La Liga.
- LOW - England and Beckham put in a poor performance against Northern Ireland
in World Cup qualifying and lose 1-0.
- LOW - Becomes the first player to be sent-off twice for England during a
World Cup qualifier against Austria.
- HIGH - Captains England for the 50th time during a 3-2 friendly victory
over Argentina.
- LOW – Sees Red two further times, as he is sent off twice for Real
in league matches.
- HIGH - Takes the free-kick which leads to Carlos Gamarra's own goal in England's
1-0 World Cup victory over Paraguay.
- LOW - Two poor performances against Trinidad and Tobago and Sweden lead
to calls from the English media for Beckham to be dropped.
- HIGH - Scores the winner during England's 1-0 second round victory over
Ecuador.
- LOW - Substituted after an injury during England's penalty shoot-out exit
to Portugal.
- LOW – A tearful Beckham steps down as England captain.
- LOW - Dropped by Steve McClaren from the 25 man squad to face Greece.
- LOW - Struggles to get into the Real Madrid team on a regular basis under
new boss Fabio Capello.
- HIGH – Makes a shock announcement in January 2007 that he will leave
Madrid in the summer when his contract expires and move to MLS side LA Galaxy.
- HIGH - McClaren faced an embarrassing about turn to bring Beckham back albeit
too late to save qualification for the European Championships.
- LOW – New England boss Fabio Capello leaves Beckham out of his first
England Squad to face Switzerland at Wembley. This would have been Beckham’s
100th England Cap.
- HIGH – Beckham wins his 100th Cap against France in Paris, however
England lose the game 1-0.