
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE[2] (born 2 May 1975)[3] is an English footballer who currently plays in midfield for American Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy[4] and the England national team. He will begin his second stint on loan at Italian club Milan in January, 2010.[5]
Twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year[6] and in 2004 the world's highest-paid footballer,[7] Beckham was the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches.[6] He was Google's most searched of all sports topics in both 2003 and 2004.[8] With such global recognition he has become an elite advertising brand and a top fashion icon.[9][10] Beckham was captain of England from 15 November 2000[11] until the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals,[12] during which he played 58 times. Since then he has continued to represent his country and earned his much-publicised hundredth cap for England against France on 26 March 2008.[13] He is currently England's most-capped outfield player with 115 appearances.[14]
Beckham's career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17.[6] During his time there, United won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999.[6] He left Manchester United to sign for Real Madrid in 2003, where he remained for four seasons,[15] clinching the La Liga championship in his final season with the club.[16]
In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid and sign a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy.[17] Beckham's contract with Los Angeles Galaxy became effective on 1 July 2007 and gave him the highest player salary in MLS history.[18] His playing contract with Galaxy in 2007, 2008 and 2009 was worth $6.5m per year.[19][20][21] He debuted for the team on 21 July 2007 in a friendly versus Chelsea at The Home Depot Center,[22] and on 15 August, he had his first start with the team, scoring his first goal in the 2007 SuperLiga semi-final.[23] His first league start then came on 18 August in front of a record crowd at Giants Stadium.[24]
Beckham is married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham (née Adams).[25] The couple have three sons and currently reside in Beverly Hills, California.