David Beckham

They say it’s lonely at the top. David Beckham (born May 2, 1975) may well agree with that assessment—despite three World Cup appearances and having led Manchester United, England and Real Madrid to victory countless times, he has faced a near relentless storm of criticism almost since his first-team Manchester United professional debut in 1993. Possibly stemming from his massive wealth, his good looks or his marriage to the gorgeous pop star Posh Spice, everyone from hooligans to newspaper editors have taken potshots at David Beckham, even in light of his contributions to football and his excellent performance for several teams.

His coaches, many football writers, and a growing segment of the public recognize David Beckham as one of the hardest workers in the sport. He holds to the belief that you practice like you play, and his skills and endurance training have made him one of the hardest runners on any team he plays on. His dedication to the game and improving his skills is responsible for his unique, banana curve corner kicks that often produce goals.

High profile incidents such as his intentional fouling of a Welsh player in 2004 in order to sit out a game have done considerable damage to his reputation and have partially obscured his many achievements. This incident followed a string of controversial fouls and injuries that centered around Argentina’s team. No such antics were on display in his 2006 World Cup performance, which despite a strong showing from England led David Beckham to announce he was stepping down as England captain.

His talent recognized by Real Madrid, Beckham was signed to this exciting team in 2003 and seems to have found a comfortable home with the Spanish team. While his occasionally damaging behavior (sarcasm towards referees, etc.) has attracted a lot of negative attention, his peers have awarded him recognition as an excellent player whose ego doesn’t get in the way of the team’s performance in play-to-play situations.

He and Victoria Beckham have three children.