One of football's most recognisable figures, Becks is in Italy on business, not leisure, as he looks to prolong his England career
Born in Leytonstone, East London, Beckham signed his first professional contract with boyhood heroes Manchester United in 1992, aged 17, having slipped through the net at Tottenham Hotspur.
He made his senior debut in a League Cup match against Brighton in 1993 before playing in United’s Champions League clash with Galatasaray in December 1994.
He then spent a spell on loan at Preston, where he scored twice in five appearances, before returning to Old Trafford to stake a claim for a regular place in the United first team.
And that he did, as a member of the youthful United side that lead Alan Hansen to infamously, and indeed wrongly, proclaim ‘you won’t win anything with kids’.
With a Premier League and FA Cup winners medal already upon his mantelpiece, Beckham made his England debut in a World Cup qualifier away to Moldova in Glen Hoddle’s first match as England manager in September 1996.
Beckham’s status continued to grow, even more so when he began dating Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who he would later marry. By the 1998 World Cup finals Beckham was considered one of the world’s best young players, but things were about to turn sour.
A petulant kick out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone in the World Cup second round saw Beckham red-carded and roundly blamed for England’s elimination from the tournament. Much abuse followed, from both the press and public, but Beckham knuckled down and produced some of his best football to date as United claimed their historic treble in the 1998/99 season.
Further titles followed in 2000 and 2001, before Beckham won back the hearts of the nation with a dramatic last minute free-kick that sealed England’s passage through to the 2002 World Cup finals.
By this point Beckham was already England captain, having initially been bestowed the honour by caretaker boss Peter Taylor for a friendly in Italy, before Sven Goran Eriksson made the position permanent upon his appointment as manager in 2001.
Beckham’s popularity continued to sour as he scored the only goal of the game from the spot as England beat bitter rivals Argentina in their crucial World Cup group match, although England would ultimately be eliminated in the quarter finals by eventual winners Brazil.
2002/03 proved to be Beckham’s last season at Old Trafford, with his relationship with manager Alex Ferguson deteriorating after the Scot kicked a boot at him in a fit of rage at half-time of an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.
Beckham moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2003, with expectations high he could lead the Spanish giants to multiple titles as he had done with United.
However Beckham would be forced to wait until his final season in La Liga, 2006/07, to win his first major silverware with Madrid, as they sealed the title under Fabio Capello, who would later also manage Beckham with England.
By this stage Beckham had already agreed to move to American MLS side LA Galaxy on a five year deal, with his England career seemingly over, citing the challenge of helping make ‘soccer’ a major sport stateside as the reason for the shock move.
However Beckham was back in the international reckoning by the summer of 2007, with England struggling to qualify for Euro 2008 – although the former captains presence was not enough to help England reach Austria and Switzerland.
In November 2008 it was confirmed Beckham would spend the first three months of 2009 on loan at AC Milan, in order to maintain his fitness and England chances during the close season of the MLS.