Ageing like fine wine: David Beckham is turning 49 today

Pretty much everyone on Planet Earth knows who David Beckham is. The Inter Miami owner turns 49 today, can you believe that? His Man United debut in 1992 feels like another lifetime.

MAN UNITED LEGEND DAVID BECKHAM IS A MARKETING DREAM

Brands around the globe have flocked to Becks throughout his football career. Now, with enough clout and cash in his bank account, he’s started his own sunglasses label among other things. The list is too long but recent collaborations with Nespresso and Lay’s prove David Beckham is still box office.

HE WAS A PRETTY GOOD FOOTBALLER TOO

Unlike most English players, David Beckham left the Premier League to try his hand abroad. There are several theories about why he left Manchester United, most of them revolving around a fallout with then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but whatever the reasons, Becks proliferated his star quality exponentially when he landed in the Spanish capital of Madrid in 2003 for €37m, which sounds like pocket change now. The set-piece specialist was integral to Real Madrid’s ‘Galacticos’ policy where only the most talented and marketable players sufficed and he didn’t look out of place alongside the illustrious company of Ballon d’Or winners Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Luis Figo. He also had stints in Italy with AC Milan, France with PSG and the USA MLS with LA Galaxy.

In England, Beckham was known for his set-piece mastery and devilish deliveries from the flanks but in Spain, we saw his more industrious, hard-working side. That part of his was always there and beautifully accentuated and illuminated in Netflix’s Beckham.

THE TALE OF THE TAPE

Beckham won six Premier League titles with Man United, the 1999 UEFA Champions League crown, infamously, at the Nou Camp against Bayern Munich, and two FA Cups. Beckham won league titles in France and Spain too. For England, the great man collected 115 caps scoring 17 goals. At PSG, after the final game of his club career in Europe, Beckham was overwhelmed by emotion in a beautiful moment that will live forever.

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST BECKS MEMORIES?

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