David Beckham? Football Anyone?

Are you ready for some football? No, not the American variety, this is the 'other' football, the one called soccer in the states. Okay, maybe this isn't about football, but it is about a particular footballer. No discussion of football would be complete without a discussion of the man many consider to be the most famous footballer currently still playing. Fame is nice and all, but is he any good? Well, he is famous for playing football, too. In fact, he's currently considered to be the best (active) English footballer.

I'm talking about David Beckham, known as Becks, Goldenballs, or DB7 to his many fans. (I know what you're thinking, "Goldenballs?" Wipe that smile off your face; this is about football after all.) Born David Robert Joseph Beckham on 2-May-1975, Becks signed letters of intent for Manchester United F.C., commonly called "Man U," in 1989. He became a trainee in 1991, and made his debut at the professional level in 1992. With dark brown (and sometimes blond hair), blue eyes, athletic build (of course), and some wicked game play, he soon made his presence known both on and off the pitch. In fact, one could argue that his off-field press is more ferocious, due to the nature of tabloid gossip.

If you don't follow football, then the first time that you heard of Becks was likely when the indie hit "Bend It Like Beckham" (2002), was making the rounds a few years back. (In addition to bringing both Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra to the attention of American audiences, the movie was generally credited with creating a resurgent interest in soccer in the United States, as well as a deeper interest in David Beckham.) The title of the movie is a catch phrase that Brits use to describe the way seemingly supernatural way Beckham kicks (bends) the ball. This movie was followed by a part documentary, part instructional video that encouraged you to "Really, Bend It Like Beckham" (2004). With such prominent placement before an international audience the paparazzi was sure to follow. He began to show up in movie cameos; in product advertisements, and at fashion shows. (He's a metrosexual, a man who is well-groom and fashionable, in touch with his feminine side.) Heck, the tabloids were even chronicling his hair-style changes, as he went from blond to shaved, Mohawk to spiked, and all else.

But wait a minute, do you think the man just showed up one day fully formed and ready to take a cover photo? Before the celebrity, before the marriage, before the movies, David Beckham paid his football fees. He signed a pro contract with Man U in January of 1993 (having made his professional debut subbing for an injured Andrei Kanchelskis the September prior), however; David Beckham only saw limited action until April 1995. He followed this milestone by becoming a first team regular in the 1996-97 season.

Beckham broke out; winning the F.A. Premier League Cup and Charity Shield all in one year, and making his international debut in a game against Moldova. British fans got a taste of what was to come, as he started to display his prescient ability to kick from corners (i.e. "bend it"), at a distance, and to make wicked penalty shots. Fans began to wax nostalgic over his crossing. It wasn't long afterwards the every football fanatical child in Great Britain wanted to "bend it like Beckham."

Rather quickly, his off-field antics began to overshadow the on-field performances. Tabloid reporters followed the star all the way to the altar, as he married Victoria Adams, known as "Posh Spice," formerly of the all-girl British singing group, the Spice Girls in July of 1999. (His wife is also a tabloid favorite.) So the couple could "officially" register as a celebrity pair, if they choose to do so. But there was no need, for the tabloids had anticipated this headline, and have made a habit out of chronicling the pair's every move since then. Luckily, David and Victoria Beckham, handle the attention well. (There are even rumors among some factions to suggest that the pair court it.)

Back to the pitch: Beckham's spats of temper on the field were starting to generate the sort of press his private life had "enjoyed" - the tabloid kind. Beckham won another F.A. Cup, a Champions League title, an Intercontinental Cup and an English league title, and came in 2nd in the Ballon d'Or awards and as FIFA World Player of the Year in 1999, but these achievements were over-shadowed by his receiving a red-card in the FIFA World Club Championships at the end of the season. (The team went on to lose blaming the loss on Beckham's folly.) The fall-out was tremendous. One could say that the flamboyant star began to make enemies to rival the fervidness of his fans.

Apparently, someone tried to sabotage his car, and there were attempts to kidnap his son, Brooklyn. (He and his wife now have three sons, with Romeo and Cruz following Brooklyn.) At the World Cup in 2002, Beckham redeemed himself by converting a penalty kick that would hand England the victory. In June 2003, it was announced the Beckham would be leaving Man U for Real Madrid to join a cadre of international talent already on the team. The tabloids followed the entire exchange and continue to follow his life to this day. The "rain in Spain… (may) fall mainly on the plain," but the tabloid press seems the same the world over.

He has continued to garner accolades, and rack up a new legion of fans both for his game play and for his looks and fashion sense. He still plays for the British National team. (He and his wife visit London regularly, apparently maintaining a residence there.) He is truly a modern day athlete, having become an international celebrity - showing talent and a certain knack both on and off the field. Can you "bend it like Beckham?" Not many could, but perhaps you can just settle for looking like him. "Extreme Makeover," anyone?