A Moment in Time - David Beckham 1996 (Video)

“And, Beckham saw Sullivan off his line! Ohhhh, that is absolutely phenomenal!”

It was August. It was 1996. It was Champions Manchester United’s first game of the new Premier League season. With one kick of the football on that hot day at Selhurst Park, 21-year-old David Robert Joseph Beckham announced that a superstar was born.

He was still a young boy but when that shot from inside his own half flew over Neil Sullivan’s head and into the back of the Wimbledon net, you just knew that he was a phenomenon. But no one could have seen what would come next. No one could see Beckham turning into not only the most recognisable footballer on the planet but probably the most recognisable man on the planet.

From winning countless trophies at  including an incredible treble to winning the Ligue 1 title at the age of 38, it has been one incredible journey for one incredible man. The goal at Wimbledon was just the beginning. Once leaving Old Trafford after 11 years and 14 trophies with the first team, he became a Galactico of Real Madrid where he played alongside Zidane and Figo amongst others. Then it was off to LA, to transform American ‘soccer’ into a sport which Americans would finally appreciate. A stop off on loan at the San Siro followed and finally it was off to Paris for five months. Donating his wages to charity summed up the man he is, the ultimate role model. To top it off, Beckham is now the only Englishman to have won a league title in four different countries.

One kick of that golden right boot transformed him from a boy into a man. He is someone who it is impossible to hate. David Beckham, we are proud he is English.

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