Editing David Beckham (section)

===Manchester United===
====1991–1994: Youth and early-career====
Having signed for Manchester United as a trainee on 8 July 1991,<ref name="H2G2">{{cite web |url=http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A1138600 |title=David Beckham – Rise of a Footballer |website=The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition |date=19 August 2003 |publisher=Not Panicking |access-date=14 May 2016 |archive-date=27 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927112748/https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A1138600 |url-status=live }}</ref> Beckham was part of a group of young players, including [[Ryan Giggs]], [[Gary Neville]], [[Phil Neville]], [[Nicky Butt]] and [[Paul Scholes]], who were coached by [[Eric Harrison (footballer)|Eric Harrison]], and helped the club win the [[FA Youth Cup]] in [[FA Youth Cup Finals of the 1990s#1991–92: Manchester United v. Crystal Palace (3–1 and 3–2, 6–3 Aggregate)|May 1992]]. Beckham scored Manchester United's second goal in the 30th minute of their 3–1 first-leg win of the final against [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]] on 14 April 1992. In the second leg on 15 May, Beckham played a full 90-minutes of the fixture which ended 3–2 in favour of Manchester United and 6–3 on aggregate. Beckham's impact led to a first-team debut on 23 September 1992, as a substitute for [[Andrei Kanchelskis]] in a [[EFL Cup|League Cup]] match against [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]]. Shortly afterwards, Beckham signed as a professional on 23 January 1993.<ref name="H2G2" />

Manchester United again reached the [[FA Youth Cup Finals of the 1990s#1992–93: Leeds United v. Manchester United (2–0 and 2–1, 4–1 Aggregate)|final of the FA Youth Cup]], where they faced [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]. The first leg was played on 10 May 1993, where Beckham started in Manchester United's 2–0 home loss but was replaced by substitute [[Robbie Savage]]. In the second leg on 13 May 1993, Beckham played the full 90 minutes of Manchester United's 2–1 defeat, which gave Leeds United a 4–1 aggregate score. Beckham also received honours with the club's reserve team when the squad won the league in 1994. In September 1994, Beckham made his first full appearance in the club's first team against [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]] in a League Cup fixture. On 7 December 1994, Beckham made his [[UEFA Champions League]] debut, scoring a goal in a 4–0 victory at home to [[Galatasaray S.K. (football)|Galatasaray]] in the final game of the group stage. Despite the victory, however, they finished third out of four in their group, behind Barcelona.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1994/standings/index.html|title=Champions League 1994/95 Standings|publisher=UEFA|access-date=12 September 2014|archive-date=25 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825073413/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=1994/standings/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====1994–1995: Loan to Preston North End====
Beckham then went to [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]], on loan for part of the [[1994–95 in English football|1994–95 season]], to get some first-team experience.

{{blockquote|
I arrived thinking that Manchester United didn't want me anymore. You had to perform because, if not, you're going to get let go. So you're constantly thinking you're not safe. – Beckham in 2023.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjnd-DOIBog|title=Career in Shirts with David Beckham {{!}} Classic Football Shirts|date=4 November 2023|work=YouTube|location=UK|access-date=10 November 2023|archive-date=10 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110144207/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjnd-DOIBog|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

He scored two goals in five appearances, notably directly from a [[corner kick]].<ref name="OBE">{{cite news |date=13 June 2003 |title=Beckham's pride at OBE |work=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2988104.stm |url-status=live |access-date=9 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805021147/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/2988104.stm |archive-date=5 August 2017}}</ref>

====1995–1996: Return to United and first Championship====
Beckham returned to Manchester and made his [[Premier League]] debut for Manchester United on 2 April 1995 in a goalless draw against Leeds United. He played four times for United in the league that season, as they finished second behind [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], missing out on a third successive Premier League title by a single point. He was not in the squad for the [[1995 FA Cup Final|FA Cup final]] with [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] on 20 May, which United lost 1–0, leaving the club without a major trophy for the first time since 1989.<ref>Graham Hart (1995). "The Guinness football encyclopedia". p. 69. Guinness</ref>

United manager [[Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson]] had a great deal of confidence in the club's young players. Beckham was part of a group of young talents Ferguson brought into United in the 1990s (known as "[[Fergie's Fledglings]]"), which included [[Nicky Butt]] and [[Gary Neville|Gary]] and [[Phil Neville]]. When experienced players [[Paul Ince]], [[Mark Hughes]] and [[Andrei Kanchelskis]] left the club after the end of the 1994–95 season, his decision to let youth team players replace them instead of buying star players from other clubs (United had been linked with moves for players including [[Darren Anderton]], [[Marc Overmars]] and [[Roberto Baggio]], but no major signings were made that summer), drew a great deal of criticism. The criticism increased when United started the season with a 3–1 defeat at [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]],<ref>The most famous comment was [[Alan Hansen]]'s "You can't win anything with kids", quoted in ''The Boss''. Beckham scored United's goal (his first for them in the league) from a distance of around 30&nbsp;metres.</ref> with Beckham scoring United's only goal of the game. However, United recovered from this early-season defeat and the young players performed well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manutd.com/en/Sir-Alex-25-Years/Trophies/Trophy-Articles/League-199596.aspx|title=Man Utd season review 1995/96|access-date=12 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525232144/http://www.manutd.com/en/Sir-Alex-25-Years/Trophies/Trophy-Articles/League-199596.aspx|archive-date=25 May 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Beckham swiftly established himself as United's right-sided midfielder (rather than a right-winger in the style of his predecessor Andrei Kanchelskis) and helped them to win the Premier League title and [[FA Cup]] [[Double (association football)|double]] that season, scoring the winner in the semi-final against [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] and also providing the [[corner kick|corner]] from which [[Eric Cantona]] scored in the FA Cup Final. Beckham's first title medal had, for a while, looked like it would not be coming that season, as United were still 10 points adrift of leaders [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] at the turn of the new year, but Beckham and his teammates had overhauled the [[Tyneside]]rs at the top of the league by mid March and they remained top until the end of the season. Despite playing regularly and to a consistently high standard for Manchester United, Beckham did not break into the England squad before [[UEFA Euro 1996|Euro 1996]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Euro 96 stars going strong |url=http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/01/Euro96_Feature.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20050326090133/http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/01/Euro96_Feature.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 March 2005 |publisher=The Football Association |date=21 January 2005 |access-date=16 July 2007 }}</ref>

====1996–1998: First-choice and inheriting No. 7 shirt====

{{Quote box|width=28%|align=right|quote="It changed my life. The ball seemed to be in the air for hours and it all went quiet. Then the ball went in and it just erupted. I was on cloud nine."|source=—Beckham on the goal from the half-way line against Wimbledon in August 1996 that made him a household name.<ref>Gwen Russell (2011). "Arise Sir David Beckham: Footballer, Celebrity, Legend – The Biography of Britain's Best Loved Sporting Icon". John Blake Publishing,</ref> It was ranked number 18 on Channel 4's poll of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)#Episodes|100 Greatest Sporting Moments]].<ref name="Channel4 Greatest"/>}}
At the beginning of the [[1996–97 in English football|1996–97 season]], Beckham was given the number 10 shirt that had most recently been worn by Mark Hughes. On 17 August 1996 (the first day of the [[Premier League]] season), Beckham became something of a household name when he scored a spectacular goal in a match against [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]]. With United leading 2–0, Beckham noticed that Wimbledon's goalkeeper [[Neil Sullivan]] was standing a long way out of his goal, and hit a shot from the halfway line – {{convert|57|yd}} out – that floated over the goalkeeper and into the net.<ref name="United profile">{{cite news |title=David Beckham profile |url=https://www.manutd.com/en/players-and-staff/detail/david-beckham |access-date=14 October 2020 |website=ManUtd.com |archive-date=21 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021054005/https://www.manutd.com/en/players-and-staff/detail/david-beckham |url-status=live }}</ref>

His goal celebration saw him raise his arms and walk away smiling rather than run as he often would.<ref name="Sky Beckham">{{cite news |title=Remembering that David Beckham wonder goal 20 years on... |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/10540496/remembering-that-david-beckham-wonder-goal-20-years-on |access-date=10 October 2018 |archive-date=11 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011053737/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/10540496/remembering-that-david-beckham-wonder-goal-20-years-on |url-status=live }}</ref> In a UK poll conducted by [[Channel 4]] in 2002, the British public voted the goal No.18 of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)#Episodes|100 Greatest Sporting Moments]].<ref name="Channel4 Greatest">{{Cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest_sporting/results.html|title=100 Greatest Sporting Moments – Results|year=2002|publisher=[[Channel 4]]|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020204090913/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest_sporting/results.html|archive-date=4 February 2002|url-status=dead|access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref> In a 2016 [[Sky Sports]] poll, it was ranked the best opening day goal in Premier League history.<ref name="Sky Beckham"/> During the 1996–97 season, Beckham became an automatic first-choice player at Manchester United, helping them to retain the Premier League title, and was voted [[PFA Young Player of the Year]] by his peers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.napit.co.uk/viewus/infobank/football/awards/pfayoung.php|title=English PFA Young Player of the Year Award|publisher=napit.co.uk|access-date=16 July 2007|archive-date=30 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430050329/http://www.napit.co.uk/viewus/infobank/football/awards/pfayoung.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to the [[1997–98 in English football|1997–98 season]], Beckham inherited the [[Squad number (association football)|number 7 shirt]], a number previously worn by such United greats as [[George Best]] and [[Eric Cantona]].<ref>{{cite news |title=7 great Manchester United number sevens |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/7-great-manchester-united-number-sevens-36518073.html |access-date=9 August 2019 |work=Independent |archive-date=9 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809145207/https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/7-great-manchester-united-number-sevens-36518073.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Manchester United started the season well but erratic performances in the second half of the season saw United finish second behind [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/5880/fix1998.html|title=Fixture List for 1997/98 Season|publisher=geocities.com|access-date=16 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731113715/http://geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/5880/fix1998.html|archive-date=31 July 2009}}</ref> Beckham had the [[1997–98 FA Premier League#Top assists|most assists in the league]] with 13, while his nine Premier League goals included a free kick from the edge of the {{convert|18|yd|0|adj=on}} box against Manchester United's [[Liverpool F.C.–Manchester United F.C. rivalry|arch rivals]] [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] at [[Anfield]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goal_assist |title=Statistical Leaders – 1998 |publisher=Premier League |access-date=5 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624144700/https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goal_assist |archive-date=24 June 2017}}</ref>

====1998–1999: Treble====
[[File:1999 FA Cup Final Beckham corner (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Beckham preparing to take a corner kick for [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] during the [[1999 FA Cup Final]] at Wembley Stadium]]
In the [[1998–99 in English football|1998–99 season]], he was part of the United team that won the [[treble (association football)|treble]] of the Premier League, FA Cup and [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]], a unique feat in English football until [[2022–23 Manchester City F.C. season|Manchester City's 2022–23 season]].<ref name="treble"/> There had been speculation that the criticism that he had received after being sent off in the World Cup would lead to him leaving England, but Beckham decided to stay at Manchester United.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff/Legends/David-Beckham.aspx?pageNo=2|title=Manchester United Legends: David Beckham|access-date=12 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007021554/http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff/Legends/David-Beckham.aspx?pageNo=2|archive-date=7 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

To ensure they would win the Premier League title, United needed to win their final league match of the season, at home to Tottenham. There were reports suggesting that the opposition would allow themselves to be beaten to prevent their local rivals Arsenal from retaining the title, but Tottenham took an early lead in the match.<ref name="treble"/> Beckham scored the equaliser with a curling strike from {{convert|12|yd|spell=in}} out, after receiving the ball on the right side of the penalty area, placing the ball into the top left corner of the goal; United went on to win the match 2–1 and the league.<ref name="treble"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/fa_carling_premiership/345445.stm |title=Glorious United crowned champions |work=BBC Sport |date=27 May 1999 |access-date=20 April 2020 |archive-date=3 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200403105010/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/fa_carling_premiership/345445.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Beckham played in [[Midfielder#Central midfielder|central midfield]] in United's win over [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] in the [[1999 UEFA Champions League Final]], as United's first-choice centre-midfielders Paul Scholes and [[Roy Keane]] were suspended for the match.<ref name="treble">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/05/99/uniteds_treble_triumph/354262.stm|title=The Kings of Europe|work=BBC News|access-date=12 September 2014|archive-date=2 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902053741/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/05/99/uniteds_treble_triumph/354262.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> United were losing the match 1–0 at the end of normal time, but won the trophy by scoring two goals in injury time. Both of the goals came from corners taken by Beckham.<ref name="treble"/> Those crucial assists, coupled with great performances over the rest of the season, led to him finishing runner up to [[Rivaldo]] for 1999's [[Ballon d'Or|European Footballer of the Year]] and [[FIFA World Player of the Year]] awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/ballondor/archive/edition=1999901999/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202232047/http://www.fifa.com/ballondor/archive/edition=1999901999/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 December 2013|title=Rivaldo on top of the world|publisher=FIFA|access-date=12 September 2014}}</ref>

====1999–2000: Another Championship====
Despite Beckham's achievements in the 1998–99 season, he was still unpopular among some opposition fans and journalists, and he was criticised after being sent off for a deliberate foul in Manchester United's [[FIFA Club World Cup|World Club Championship]] match against [[Club Necaxa|Necaxa]]. It was suggested in the press that his wife was a bad influence on him, and that it might be in United's interests to sell him,<ref>{{cite news |title=Man Utd's flawed genius? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/593905.stm |work=BBC News |date=7 January 2000 |access-date=6 October 2005 |archive-date=18 April 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030418191808/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/593905.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> but his manager publicly backed him, and he stayed at the club.

During the 1999–2000 season, there was a talk of a transfer to [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] in Italy, but this never happened. Beckham helped United retain the Premier League title in [[1999–2000 in English football|1999–2000]] by an 18-point margin, after being pushed by Arsenal and Leeds United for much of the season. United won their final 11 league games of the season, with Beckham scoring five goals during this run, with his last goal coming from a swerving shot from the edge of the penalty area in their final home game against Tottenham Hotspur.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/fa_carling_premiership/738587.stm|title=Man Utd celebrate in style|access-date=12 September 2014|archive-date=17 March 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040317065333/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/fa_carling_premiership/738587.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

====2000–2001: Troubled relationship with Ferguson====
By the early-2000s, the relationship between Ferguson and Beckham had begun to deteriorate, possibly as a result of Beckham's fame and commitments away from football. In 2000, Beckham was given permission to miss training to look after his son Brooklyn, who had [[gastroenteritis]], but Ferguson was furious when [[Victoria Beckham]] was photographed at a London Fashion Week event on the same night, claiming that Beckham would have been able to train if Victoria had looked after Brooklyn that day. He responded by fining Beckham the maximum amount that was permitted (two weeks' wages – then £50,000) and dropping him for a crucial match against United's rivals Leeds United. He later criticised Beckham for this in his autobiography, claiming he had not been "fair to his teammates"<ref>''The Boss'' 469.</ref> Beckham had a good season for his club, though, and helped United to win the Premier League by a record margin.

{{blockquote|
He was never a problem until he got married. He used to go into work with the academy coaches at night time, he was a fantastic young lad. Getting married into that entertainment scene was a difficult thing – from that moment, his life was never going to be the same. He is such a big celebrity, football is only a small part. – Alex Ferguson speaking about Beckham's marriage in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/ferguson-will-never-talk-to-the-bbc-again-401487.html|title=Ferguson will never talk to the BBC again|last=Harris|first=Nick|date=6 September 2007|work=The Independent|location=UK|access-date=30 April 2009|archive-date=28 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528191835/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/ferguson-will-never-talk-to-the-bbc-again-401487.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

He was a key player in United's third successive league title in [[2000–01 in English football|2000–01]], only the fourth time that any club had achieved three league titles in a row. He scored nine Premier League goals, and had the [[2000–01 FA Premier League#Top assists|most assists in the league]] with 12.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goal_assist |title=Statistical Leaders – 2001 |publisher=Premier League |access-date=5 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624144700/https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goal_assist |archive-date=24 June 2017}}</ref>

====2001–2002: Contract extension====
On 10 April 2002, Beckham was injured during a Champions League match against [[Deportivo de La Coruña]], breaking the second [[Metatarsus|metatarsal]] bone in his left foot.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2002/04/10/manutd_depor/ |title=Man Utd beats Deportivo 3–2 to make semifinals |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023152955/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2002/04/10/manutd_depor/ |archivedate=23 October 2012 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=10 April 2002 }}</ref> There was speculation in the British media that the injury might have been caused deliberately, as the player who had injured Beckham was Argentine [[Aldo Duscher]], and [[England national football team|England]] and [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] were due to meet in that year's World Cup.<ref>{{cite web |title=Did 'hatchet man' target Beckham? |website=ESPN Soccernet |date=2 April 2002 |url=http://www.soccernet.com/championsleague/news/2002/0402/20020411featwright.html |access-date=7 October 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716052613/http://www.soccernet.com/championsleague/news/2002/0402/20020411featwright.html |archive-date=16 July 2006}}</ref> The injury prevented Beckham from playing for United for the rest of the season and they missed out on the Premier League title to Arsenal (also being knocked out of the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]] by [[Bayer 04 Leverkusen|Bayer Leverkusen]]), but he signed a three-year contract in May, following months of negotiations with the club, mostly concerning extra payments for his image rights. The income from his new contract, and his many endorsement deals, made him the highest-paid player in the world at the time.<ref>{{cite news |title=Beckham signs new contract |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/team_pages/england/newsid_1976000/1976699.stm |work=BBC Sport |date=12 May 2002 |access-date=7 October 2005 |archive-date=19 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719030325/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/team_pages/england/newsid_1976000/1976699.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite the season being curtailed with injury, 2001–02 was one of Beckham's best seasons as a United player; he scored 16 goals in all competitions, the best of his career.<ref name="PL stats"/>

====2002–2003: Boot incident and United exit====
Following an injury early in the [[2002–03 in English football|2002–03 season]], Beckham was unable to regain his place on the Manchester United team, with [[Ole Gunnar Solskjær]] having replaced him on the right side of midfield. His relationship with his manager deteriorated further on 15 February 2003 when, in the changing room following an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, a furious Alex Ferguson threw or kicked a [[Football boot|boot]] that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2778985.stm|title=Man Utd play down Arsenal rift|date=19 February 2003|work=BBC Sport|access-date=27 August 2009|archive-date=29 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029001621/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2778985.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/04/28/1234261/silvestre-reminisces-about-fergusons-infamous-boot-throwing-at-be |title=Silvestre Reminisces About Ferguson's Infamous Boot-Throwing at Beckham Incident |publisher=Goal.com |date=28 April 2009 |access-date=10 June 2012 |archive-date=2 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002172417/http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/04/28/1234261/silvestre-reminisces-about-fergusons-infamous-boot-throwing-at-be |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/article.html?Revealed:_What_happened_when_Beckham_was_hit_by_a_boot_in_the_face&in_article_id=638192&in_page_id=43 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903220624/http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/article.html?Revealed:_What_happened_when_Beckham_was_hit_by_a_boot_in_the_face&in_article_id=638192&in_page_id=43 |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 September 2012 |title=Revealed: What happened when Beckham was hit by a boot in the face |work=Metro |date=28 April 2009 |access-date=10 June 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bodinger |first=Katie |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/29/why-ryan-giggs-is-more-scared-of-his-mum-than-fergie-91466-21423456/ |title=Why Ryan Giggs is more scared of his mum than Fergie |work=WalesOnline |access-date=10 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013212846/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/29/why-ryan-giggs-is-more-scared-of-his-mum-than-fergie-91466-21423456/ |archive-date=13 October 2012 |date=28 July 2008 }}</ref> The incident led to a great deal of transfer speculation involving Beckham, with [[bookmaker]]s offering odds on whether he or Ferguson would be first to leave the club.<ref>{{cite news |title=Will Becks give Man Utd the boot? |work=BBC Sport |date=18 February 2003 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2775269.stm |access-date=6 October 2005 |first=Stuart |last=Roach |archive-date=31 May 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060531050325/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2775269.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Although the team had started the season badly, their results improved greatly from December onwards and they won the league, with Beckham managing a total of eleven goals. He was still a first-choice player for England, however, and in the [[Queen's Birthday Honours List]] he was appointed an [[Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|OBE]] for services to football on 13 June 2003.<ref name="OBE" />

Beckham had made 265 Premier league appearances for United and scored 62 goals.<ref name="PL stats">{{cite news |title=David Beckham profile |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/331/David-Beckham/overview |access-date=14 October 2020 |publisher=Premier League |archive-date=15 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415212720/https://www.premierleague.com/players/331/David-Beckham/overview |url-status=live }}</ref> He also made 81 Champions league appearances, scoring 15 goals. Beckham won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two FA Charity Shields, one [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]], one Intercontinental Cup and one FA Youth Cup in the space of twelve years.<ref name="United profile"/> By this stage, he was their joint second longest serving player behind [[Ryan Giggs]] (having joined them at the same time as [[Nicky Butt]], [[Gary Neville]] and [[Paul Scholes]]).