da aviator aposta： You've probably all seen the recent David Beckham documentary that aired on Netflix, or if you haven't, it's certainly well worth the watch if you're a fan of the beautiful game, not just the former England skipper.
da doce： Beckham – affectionately known as 'Becks' – has plied his trade around much of Europe's elite and has had quite the career, with many ups and downs throughout his time at Manchester United, Real Madrid, MLS and beyond.
Having been inspired by his captivating documentary, Football FanCast has decided to revisit some of his most memorable moments throughout his trophy-laden career.
There's some crackers in here…
10 Record-breaking move to LA Galaxy
Beckham's record-breaking move to LA Galaxy in 2007 saw him become the world's highest-paid footballer, reportedly taking home $250m across a five-year contract.
His departure from Real Madrid to MLS certainly raised eyebrows, particularly due to the timing, having just won the La Liga title, aged 31.
But a clause in the deal allowed the Englishman to purchase the rights to an expansion team for a set fee worth $25m, which he exercised years later to form Inter Miami. So perhaps the transfer now appears incredibly shrewd to many of the initial naysayers.
This summer, Beckham welcomed Lionel Messi to the club just seven months after he lifted the World Cup with Argentina and his former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba also joined him in Miami.
The revolutionary transfer has continued to bear fruit for Beckham and MLS, and it now stands as a defining moment in his career.
9 Buzzcut unveiled v Leicester
Beckham unveiled his iconic 'buzz cut' in United's Premier League clash against Leicester City at Filbert Street in 2000. The United No 7 shocked fans and viewers after chopping off his blonde locks in favour of a shaved head.
Speaking to the 'Stick to Football' Podcast, Beckham claimed Sir Alex Ferguson wasn't best pleased with his new look: "The Leicester one (buzzcut haircut), I didn't think there was anything wrong with that – it wasn't the haircut that upset him, it was probably the fact that no one saw it until I came out onto the pitch – even during the warm-up, I wore a beanie.
The former England skipper had an unrivalled influence on British pop culture, which was a remarkable mantle to carry, especially as a footballer. He was one of the first players to break into that sphere.
The Independent noted how even the commentators picked up his new appearance straight away: "The blonde locks have gone…the sight will take a bit of getting used to."
Meanwhile, James Clarke, a Manchester paparazzi member, recalls schools having to put a ban on kids getting the 'Beckham buzzcut':
"Literally kids: ‘I want to be David Beckham, I want to shave my head.’ And schools were having to write in: ‘No shaving of heads,"
Read more: Man Utd's Top No 7s
8 Transfer to Real Madrid
Following United's recent title triumph, June 2003 saw Beckham seal a £24.5m move away from Old Trafford to become a Galáctico at Real Madrid.
Though, by his own admission, he didn't want to leave and even tried contacting Sir Alex Ferguson in a bid to have his deal extended, but those aspirations were slashed when the Scotsman answered none of his calls.
"I didn’t want to leave Manchester United at the time – we’d just won the league again, but all of a sudden, I get a phone call to be told that Manchester United had agreed a deal, and that was the end of it.
“Even trying to speak to the manager after that, he didn’t want to talk to me. It wasn’t out of spite, he was on holiday, he didn’t want to be contacted, he’d made his decision and that was the end of it," Beckham recalled.
The 11-year United servant became only the third Englishman to play for Real Madrid and went on to make over 150 appearances for the Spanish outfit, netting 20 goals whilst providing 52 assists.
7 Red card v Argentina
One of the lowest, if not the lowest, moments of Beckham's career.
His sending-off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup round of 16 was the catalyst for a wave of vicious hate, which continued long after that summer.
His infamous kick-out at Diego Simeone saw the referee draw a red card, reducing his side to 10 men for the rest of the match. Glenn Hoddle's men managed to take the tie to penalties before suffering a heartbreaking defeat, thus turning much of the blame on the United midfielder.
Speaking in his Netflix documentary, Beckham said: “Now, at 48 years old, I beat myself up about it. I made a stupid mistake. It changed my life. I felt very vulnerable and alone. I don't think I have ever talked about it, just because I can't."
Beckham displayed admirable resilience to persevere through the onslaught of distasteful jeers from sections of opposition crowds the following season as he went on to achieve a historic treble with the Red Devils.
6 Penalty v Argentina
Beckham buried a lot of demons when he powered home a well-struck penalty against Argentina in the 2002 World Cup group stages.
Following the saga that unfolded in 1998, the build-up to the clash was dominated by the previous encounter between the pair.
Beckham needed to win back the trust of many England fans, and as his side was awarded a penalty, the moment perfectly presented itself as an opportunity for redemption.
As he wheeled away in celebration, you could almost see the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders as he burst into total elation in what was a joyous moment for Beckham and England.
5 Boot incident with Sir Alex Ferguson
Perhaps one of the most publicised incidents from a football dressing room…
20 years ago, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson infamously kicked a boot which struck Beckham in the face following a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
But what really happened? What was the context behind the kick? Beckham opened up about the incident in his documentary.
"We walked in the changing room and the boss is fuming. I can see it by his face. And when you see the boss's face like this, you don't want to be anywhere near him. It is a face that no one can do, trust me.
"I went back at the boss and said "no" and then I swore. I said the f-word. And then I saw him change, and I was like, "s***, I really shouldn't have said that". I think I said the f-word too many times.
Beckham then revealed he had to be restrained from Sir Alex after the boot struck his face – which left him with a cut above the eye.
The incident grew into a major news story within the media, which promoted the United boss to address it in a press conference.
The Scotsman alluded to the fact that it was a total accident, describing it as 'freakish'.
4 Winning the treble
Beckham was a part of one of the most iconic moments in Manchester United's 145-year history, as he played a pivotal role in winning a historic treble, which saw the Red Devils win the Premier League title, FA Cup and Champions League in the 1998/99 season.
The United youth graduate had to endure the fallout which ensued following his sending-off against Argentina in the summer of 1998, with sections of opposition crowds and players targeting him for much of the year.
So to end the season with three pieces of silverware after the troubling year he experienced was a truly remarkable and inspiring achievement.
Becks' side was dubbed; 'The Class of '92', due to much of the team being made up of academy players such as Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, amongst others.
He signed the trophy-laden season off with nine goals and a whopping 20 assists across all competitions.
3 Last match before retiring
18th May, 2013 saw Beckham play his final game of professional football before retiring, ending a truly glittering career across five different clubs.
The 115-cap England international donned the captain's armband for Paris Saint-Germain in their clash against Stade Brest and, in true Beckham fashion, provided an assist from a corner.
His final few minutes on the pitch – before being subbed off in the 82nd minute – saw him break down in tears as he prepared to hang up his boots.
Beckham's career in numbers:
Appearances
724
Goals
127
Assists
225
2 THAT goal v Wimbledon
The documentary really emphasised this moment as the one that catapulted Beckham into superstardom. A halfway-line goal had never really been seen before in the Premier League, and it had fans in complete awe.
Beckham's effort has since been replayed millions of times throughout the years and is widely considered to be one of the greatest goals in Premier League history.
Read more: Every Premier League goal of the season this century
Beckham recalled what Sir Alex Ferguson said to him after the game – which saw United win 3-0.
“I went up to the boss. I thought he was going to say, ‘Great goal’ and put his arms around me. He said, ‘Straight on the bus — and don’t talk to anyone.’ But that was his way of protecting me. He didn’t want me speaking to any media because he knew what that goal was going to do.”
1 Free-kick v Greece
Last but not least is, of course, Beckham's free-kick against Greece.
October 2001 saw England line up against Greece in the World Cup qualifiers. The Three Lions were trailing 2-1 heading into the dying embers of the match with the prospect of a tricky play-off game against Ukraine for a place at the tournament looming.
In the 93rd minute, with England's hope lying solely on their skipper, Beckham curled home an outrageous free-kick to send his nation to the finals in South Korea and Japan.
Here's your excuse to marvel once more at the iconic goal below…