Who Is David Beckham?

By (author) Labrecque, Ellen; By (author) Who HQ; Illustrated by Hinderliter John
Short description/annotation:
Whether you call it football or soccer, there’s no disputing that David Beckham is one of the best players in the history of the game!
Description:
Whenever a young David Beckham was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he’d always answer with the same response: I want to be a footballer. This English native got his wish when he joined the Manchester United team in 1991. Since then, he has been crossing, bending, and free-kicking his way to stardom. In his twenty-year career as a professional soccer player, he has won nineteen major trophies, and appeared at three FIFA World Cup tournaments. David Beckham has become an international cultural icon for his soccer skills, his charity work, and his fashionable wife and family. Young soccer fans are in for a treat with this Who HQ book.
Biographical note:
Ellen Labrecque is a former Senior Editor for Sports Illustrated for Kids and the author of over twenty nonfiction books for young readers, including biographies of Jim Thorpe and Magic Johnson and a number of Who Was? biographies.
Promotional headline:
Whether you call it football or soccer, there''s no disputing that David Beckham is one of the best players in the history of the game!
Excerpt:
Who Is David Beckham?
 
 
Five-­year-­old David Beckham was as excited as if it were Christmas morning! It was September 6, 1980, and his dad, Ted, was taking him to watch his first professional soccer game. They were going to see Manchester United—­one of the most popular sports teams in the world. United was playing Tottenham Hotspur. The two were teams in the English Premier League—­the top professional soccer league in England. David and his dad drove to Tottenham’s stadium, about twenty-­five minutes from their home in Chingford. David wore his favorite red United jersey. When they entered the giant stadium, David gripped his dad’s hand tightly. They were both so excited for the game, they had arrived very early. They were two of the first fans there.
 
Their seats were high above the field, far from the action, but David didn’t care. He loved every minute of the game. He loved the loud cheering of the fans, and the way the soccer ball moved quickly from player to player. The game ended in a 0–­0 tie. David didn’t get to see any goals, but he had the time of his young life.
 
“I’d never seen him more thrilled,” Ted said about his son. “To see his face light up had been worth the price of the tickets alone.”
 
As they left the game, Ted carried his son down the steep stadium stairs. David turned to his father and said, “Dad, one day I am going to play for Manchester United.” Ted laughed and responded, “I’ll come and watch you.”
 
When David said this, his dad didn’t really believe him. After all, only the very best players play professional soccer—­and only the best of the best play for Manchester United. But David meant it. And from that day on, he worked as hard as he could to make it happen. Growing up, he spent almost every hour he could practicing soccer. Every day, every year, he got better and better.
 
David Beckham became one of the best and most famous soccer players ever. He played eleven seasons for Manchester United, four seasons for Real Madrid in Spain, six seasons for the Los Angeles Galaxy in California, and one season for Paris Saint-­Germain in France. He also played for fourteen years on England’s national team.
 
David became a multimillionaire, married a pop star, and became famous for his cool clothes, good looks, and hip hairstyles. But before any of these things happened, David was just a little kid who held his dad’s hand during the matches. He loved soccer more than anything else in the world.