David Beckham
- Profession: Footballer
- Place/Date of Birth: Leytonstone, London, 02 May 1975
- Associated with: Victoria Beckham
"In Sierra Leone, one in four children dies before reaching their fifth birthday - it’s shocking and tragic especially when the solutions are simple - things like vaccinations against measles or using a mosquito net to reduce the chance of getting malaria.
"Saving these children’s lives is a top priority for Unicef and as an ambassador I hope I can help to draw attention to this issue across the world."
The star, who is a father of three, arrived in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on Friday, before travelling to Makeni, Bombali District, in the northern province of Sierra Leone, which has the highest number of under-five child deaths in the country.
Becks and Snoop to make slippers? - Jan 15 2008
David Beckham and Snoop Dogg are reportedly set to take their friendship to the next level - by producing a range of slippers.
Becks is rumoured to have developed a fancy for the furry footwear after the rapper sent him a pair of his own for Christmas, and now the pair are planning to make their own together, Snoop told the Daily Mirror.
He apparently said: "I got him a pair as a present, and he took a picture and sent it back to me, and I was like, ’They look cool!’
"We are talking about making a slipper together. So when I stop rapping and he stops football we can kick back and slip on a house shoe."
The LA-based pair strengthened their friendship when the American invited David round to his Beverly Hills mansion to teach his children fancy football skills last year.
Snoop, 36, told the paper: "David and I go back years. He was terrific with my kids and taught them how to shoot and score the perfect goal. That’s a partnership you thought you would never see, Snoop and Beckham."
Becks: I’d trust pal with naked Victoria - Jan 7 2008
David Beckham said his former Manchester United teammate Gary Neville is such a good friend that he’d trust him with his wife Victoria - even if she was naked.
Speaking at a gala evening for the Football Writers’ Association, the LA Galaxy midfielder said Neville is one of three people he considers as his best friends.
"They are the three that I would trust with my wife naked," he said. "That’s how good they are as friends."
He didn’t name his other best friends.
Neville married Emma Hadfield in June last year. Becks had been tipped to be best man but couldn’t attend as he was preparing for Real Madrid’s crucial league match against Majorca the following day. Instead, Neville’s footballer brother Phil was best man.
Becks, who was guest of honour at the gala in central London, has been training with Arsenal during the Major League Soccer close season so he can be fit for a possible England call-up under new manager Fabio Capello.
"I’m there to get my fitness for the MLS season and also to try to get fit for the England game," said Beckham.
"I want to be fit and be available for Mr Capello’s first team and first game."
Beckham admits to being starstruck - Dec 26 2007
David Beckham has admitted that despite his immense fame and fortune he still gets starstruck occasionally.
The footballer told BBC Radio 2’s Line of Enquiry that among those who had left him in awe were Nelson Mandela, Mohammed Ali and Stevie Wonder.
In a wide ranging interview he also discussed how his father used to make him cry during training, his feelings on leaving Manchester United and his wife’s verdict on his dancing prowess.
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David Robert Joseph Beckham was born on 2nd May 1975 and despite being a renowned national and international footballer, is probably more famous for his marriage to ‘Posh’, aka Victoria Beckham, their bizarrely named children and continued coverage in the gossip press.
Beckham’s football career began its steady climb when he first signed a trainee’s contract with Man U in 1991, making his league debut in 1995.
His contribution at Man U saw the team climb the ladder that is the English Premiere League and by 1998 he had also established himself on the international scene.
In 1998 Beckham was part of the England squad at the World Cup, but received a red card in the quarter final, for kicking out in anger at Argentian player Diego Simeone. England lost the game on penalties and David’s on-pitch behaviour became the object of much criticism on his return to England.
Despite his instrumental part in Man U claiming the Treble, Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, in the 98/99 season, Beckham’s real rise to fame didn’t start until 2000 when he was promoted to captain the England team.
In 2001 his performance in a qualifying match against Greece saved the day for the England team and shortly afterwards he was voted Sports Personality of the Year. In 2002 his leadership saw an unprecedented 5-1 defeat of Germany in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers. The team went on to knock Argentina out of the cup on penalties, before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual winners Brazil.
Relations at home with Man U were strained during this time. A number of injuries left their star player incapacitated, whilst his growing celebrity status appeared to cause friction with teammates and manager alike.
In 2003 we all heard about the infamous ‘boot’ incident, when apparently, following a defeat against Arsenal, manager Alex Ferguson kicked a football boot at Beckham, it struck his eye causing a gash that required stitches.
In the summer of 2003 Beckham surprised fans by announcing a move to Spanish dream team Real Madrid, with whom he signed a four-year contract. During his time in Spain he split his time between the Spanish capital and his family who had remained at their home in England.
Despite winning over the fans in Spain and scoring well in the first season, the team itself didn’t perform well and were knocked out of both the Spanish and Champions League. It wasn’t until his fourth season in 2006/7 that the team won the Spanish Le Liga title, Beckham’s first since his arrival at the club.
During his time in Spain Beckham spent as much time in the papers as he did on the pitch, when accusations of an affair with personal assistant Rebecca Loos were printed in the tabloid press. His wife’s refusal to move to Spain fuelled yet further accusations that the marriage was on the rocks.
His career as England captain also seemed to be strained at this time, when during the 2006 World Cup he was substituted, a move that saw him weeping on the sideline. Shortly after this incident Beckham took the bold step of standing down from his position as captain and was subsequently dropped from the squad all together.
At the beginning of 2007 Beckham announced his swift departure from Real Madrid, in order to cross the Atlantic and join Los Angeles Galaxy.
2007 has seen the whole family move Stateside, with the Beckham’s continuing their domination of the world media in an attempt to ‘conquer’ the USA.
David and Victoria married on July 4th 1999 and have three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz
Updated July 2007
March 2008