David Beckham’s rollercoaster journey from Leyton Orient trial to a knighthood | OneFootball

Being knighted would have seemed little more than a distant dream for David Beckham when he used to earn £10 a shift collecting glasses at Walthamstow dog track.

Telling the aspiring young footballer he would go on to play for Manchester United and Real Madrid, captain England, marry a pop star and become one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, fronting global brands, might well have seemed just as far-fetched.

It was, though, not an easy journey for the former midfielder, who turned 50 in May, to achieve all of that success, both on and off the pitch – with the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List showing the estimated combined net worth of Beckham and his wife Victoria at £500million.

Born in Leytonstone, east London, Beckham had a trial at local team Leyton Orient and also attended Tottenham’s school of excellence – but his father Ted, a staunch Manchester United fan, remained determined he would go on to play at Old Trafford.

After coming through the club’s academy as part of the famed ‘Class of 92’, Beckham announced himself to the Premier League on the opening day of the 1996-97 season with a memorable goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon.

While there were plenty of doubters as to what he could go on to achieve, Beckham answered them and more – claiming six Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering side as well as a dramatic 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp.

International success, however, proved elusive for Beckham as England’s so-called ‘golden generation’ repeatedly came up short.

In a Netflix documentary series, released during October 2023, Beckham revealed he still cannot forgive himself for the abuse his family suffered amid the fallout from his red card at the 1998 World Cup for kicking the back of Diego Simeone’s leg during the last-16 clash against Argentina in Saint-Etienne – which left him a “mess”.

A pub hung up an effigy of the midfielder and Beckham received a hostile reception from rival fans around the country when he returned to action for United the following season but, despite the backlash, he went on to become an integral part of the national team.

Beckham, possessing an expert dead-ball strike, took on the armband in 2000 for six years through two World Cup tournaments and still stands third on the all-time appearance list with 115 caps.

However, the continued glare of the spotlight off the pitch, with Beckham having married Spice Girls singer Victoria in a star-studded ceremony in July 1999, saw his relationship with Ferguson cool – a cut eye from a boot kicked by the Scot in the changing room further fuelling speculation over his future at United.

In the summer of 2003, having made almost 400 appearances for United and scoring 85 goals, a £25million switch to Real Madrid followed as Beckham became the latest ‘Galactico’ signing by club president Florentino Perez.

Beckham would go on to win the LaLiga title before he departed for LA Galaxy in 2007 and collected the MLS Cup twice, spending two loan stints at AC Milan along the way.

In January 2013, Beckham returned to Europe with Paris St Germain, later announcing his decision to retire at the end of the season, when he signed off with a Ligue 1 winners’ medal.

Beckham’s impact off the pitch, though, had already long been established before eventually hanging up his boots at the age of 38.

Already thinking about life after football during his time in the United States, Beckham became a co-owner of the Inter Miami franchise – with the club entering Major League Soccer for the 2020 campaign and now boasting Lionel Messi on the teamsheet.

A multi-million-pound lifetime deal with Adidas, signed in 2003, had secured his financial future away from the game.

Other lucrative, high-profile endorsements down the years have ranged from fashion designers Calvin Klein, Armani and Hugo Boss to tech giants Samsung, Haig Club whisky and Stella Artois as well as kitchen appliance manufacturer Ninja.

Beckham, who was made an OBE for services to football in 2003, has long been involved with children’s charity UNICEF, and is a co-owner of film production company Studio 99.

In 2024, Beckham was appointed Ambassador for The King’s Foundation which works globally to create sustainable communities through placemaking projects and also transform lives through practical education programmes.