David Beckham factfile

Wednesday, 22 October 2008

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Beckham arrived at LA Galaxy to much fanfare in July last year. The international celebrity moved to the US from Real Madrid, with a plan to use his famous persona to popularize the game in the US where American football and baseball have long dominated the sport scene

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1975: Born Leytonstone, May 2.

1991: Joins Manchester United as trainee.

1992: Makes United debut against Brighton in the League Cup on September 23. Wins FA Youth Cup.

1993: Signs professional contract at Old Trafford.

1995: Joins Preston on loan in February and scores two goals in five games.

1996: Helps United win the double, collecting Premier League winners' medal and FA Cup winners' medal.

Scores goal of the season on the opening day at Wimbledon, lobbing goalkeeper Neil Sullivan from the halfway line. Makes his England debut in the 3-0 qualifying win in Moldova.

1997: Collects another championship winners' medal, voted PFA Young Player of the Year. United win Charity Shield.

1998: Scores first England goal, a free-kick against Colombia in Lens on June 26. Sent off in second round penalty shoot-out defeat against Argentina.

Vilified by the nation for the retaliatory kick against Diego Simeone, and subsequent red card, which many people believe cost England place in quarter-finals.

1999: Responds to World Cup disgrace with consistently good performances for United, who win the Premier League, FA Cup and, memorably, the European Cup after coming from behind to beat Bayern Munich with two late goals.

Rewarded for a fine season by being voted runner-up in World Player of the Year awards, behind Brazilian Rivaldo.

2000: May: Collects his fourth championship winner's medal as United win the title by a record 18 points.

June: 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.

November: Made England captain for the November friendly with Italy in Turin by stand-in boss Peter Taylor.

2001: New England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson appoints Beckham as captain for his first match in charge, the friendly against Spain at Villa Park.

May: Collects another Premier League title with Manchester United.

September: Captains England to their remarkable 5-1 victory in Germany.

October: Curls in a 25-yard last-minute free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford to earn England a 2-2 draw and send them into the World Cup finals.

December 9: Voted the BBC's 2001 Sports Personality of the Year.

2002: April: United confirm he will be out for between six to eight weeks with a broken metatarsal, which would mean him missing the rest of United's season and possibly the start of the World Cup.

May 11: Signs new three-year contract reported to be worth between £90,000 and £100,000 a week.

June 7: Beckham, who is able to lead England out for their opening World Cup match against Sweden, scores from the penalty spot against Argentina to seal a 1-0 win. England bow out in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual winners Brazil.

2003: February: Beckham involved in new controversy after Ferguson accidentally kicks a boot into his face in frustration at United's FA Cup defeat by Arsenal, leaving the England skipper with a gash above his eye.

April 23: Beckham left out of the starting line-up for United's crucial Champions League quarter-final second-leg clash with Real Madrid at Old Trafford. Beckham scores twice as a substitute but it is too late to save the Red Devils, who lose 6-5 on aggregate.

May 22: Suffers a fractured scaphoid (bone between thumb and wrist) in 2-1 friendly victory over South Africa.

June 10: United accept a bid made by Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta for Beckham. Laporta makes signing Beckham the cornerstone of his election campaign.

June 14: Awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to football.

June 17: United announce they have accepted a £25million bid from Real Madrid for Beckham and player agrees personal terms.

July 1: Passes medical with Real Madrid and signs four-year deal.

October 11: Helps England secure the goalless draw in Turkey which clinches automatic qualification for Euro 2004 but is involved in a half-time bust-up with Alpay as the teams leave the pitch.

2004: May 16: Sent off for arguing with a linesman over a controversial penalty award during Real Madrid's La Liga clash with Murcia.

June 24: Misses a penalty as England lose to Portugal in a shoot-out in the Euro 2004 quarter-finals in Lisbon.

2005: November - Captains England for 50th time in friendly against Argentina in Geneva.

2006: June 25 - Scores winning goal in World Cup second-round match against Ecuador from free-kick.

July 1 - Substituted during England's World Cup quarter-final defeat by Portugal due to injury.

July 2 - Stands down as England captain.

August 11 - Dropped from squad for friendly against Greece, Steve McClaren's first match as manager.

2007: January 11 - Beckham announces he will leave Real Madrid and join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy on a five-year contract in August. The deal is believed to be worth £128million over the period.

January 13 - Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello says Beckham will never play for the club again.

February 10 - Scores on his Real Madrid comeback with a trademark free-kick against Real Sociedad.

May 26 - England manager Steve McClaren hands Beckham a shock recall for the matches against Brazil and Estonia.

June 10 - Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon reveals the club will attempt to keep David Beckham at the Bernabeu but their approach to buy the England midfielder out of his Los Angeles Galaxy contract is rebuffed.

June 17 - Finally wins a trophy with Real Madrid as his side clinch the league title with a 3-1 win over Mallorca.

August 16 - Scores his first goal for Galaxy on his full debut in the SuperLiga semi-final meeting with DC United with a trademark free-kick.

November 22 - Part of the England side that lose 3-2 at home to Croatia and thus miss out on qualification for Euro 2008.

December 21 - Comes to an agreement with Arsenal to train with them during the MLS off-season.

2008 - January 31 - Left out of Fabio Capello's first England squad for the following week's friendly against Switzerland.

March 16 - Plays the full 90 minutes for Los Angeles Galaxy in a friendly against FC Dallas with Capello's assistant Franco Baldini watching on.

March 26 - Wins 100th cap in the friendly international against France on March 26.

May 31 - Named as England captain for the friendly away to Trinidad and Tobago.

October 15 - Wins his 107th cap in the 3-1 win over Belarus, overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton in the process and putting him third on England's all-time list.

October 22 - AC Milan confirm they are trying to sign the midfielder on loan during the MLS off-season.