Beckham: Lessons in adversity, elite mentality and love
|Published
Johannesburg - David Beckham has, for almost three decades, been internationally renowned as a heartthrob.
With his athletic physique, hair from the heavens and chiselled jawline, the former footballer has earned legions of male and female fans from across the planet.
But last week’s release of Beckham on Netflix, which provides unrivalled insight into the hugely successful footballing career and family life of the former England captain, proves just what a winner Becks is, on and off the pitch.
After watching the four-part documentary series, Beckham’s elite mentality simply cannot be disregarded.
He might have been one of the first footballers to introduce the celebrity culture on such a large scale into the sport during a time when it was a taboo, but Becks always managed to back it up on the pitch.
And on the biggest occasions, too. This was something that was validated up by his former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, who was a notoriously hard leader, but he was quoted on the documentary as saying whatever was going on in Beck’s life, he always delivered in training and during matches.
And while Beckham, who came from a working class London family, exploded into international stardom, he was an instrumental part of Manchester United’s 1999 treble winning team.
And apart from the Champions League, multiple Premier Leagues and FA Cups during his time in English football, he has also won titles and trophies for almost every team club he played for.
This includes the La Liga at Real Madrid, the Ligue 1 title at PSG and two MLS Cups at LA Galaxy. It was only the highest honours during his time at Inter Milan and his beloved England national team that evaded him.
Another gripping feature of the Beckham documentary was that during his relationship and eventual marriage to Posh, when the media scrutiny was so intense, he just got performing on the football pitch, and it was often his goals and assists which went on to win games.
This, too, was the case following his controversial sending off during the round of 16 World Cup game between Argentina, when he received a red card for kicking Diego Simeone, and England went on to lose the game.
What followed was years of abuse, death threats for him and his family and intense hatred from English football fans.
And while Beckham admitted that this was the most challenging time in his career and life as a whole, he once again turned adversity into triumph, and used this to fuel a resurgence in his football career, which culminated in winning the treble with Manchester United the following year. The Red Devils were the first English team in the history of the game to achieve this historic achievement, and it was Beckham’s two corner kicks which sealed Man United’s eventual victory over Bayern Munich during that special night in May 1999 in Barcelona. He also credited the Man United supporters for being his “football family” and said that it was their love and support which carried him during those trying times.
Beckham also went on to captain England, something he admitted he never thought was possible following the 98 red card, and again, his contributions took the Three Lions to new heights, including that incredible goal against Greece, although he and his team mates never went on to win any silverware for their country.
And while Beckham’s red card was one of the hardest chapters of his career, the documentary showed how challenges persisted in his life. This included his life off the pitch continuing to reach heights that were never witnessed before in the footballing world. It led to Beckham having to leave Manchester United, the team he supported as a child and signed for as a youngster. But despite this heartbreak, he went on to be one of the ‘galaticos’ at Real Madrid, who pipped bitter rivals Barcelona to the La Liga title.
And then, despite widespread criticism, he left European football to play in the US, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Tom Cruise and Will Smith. But again, it was his passion and love for football which saw him return to Europe at Inter Milan in a bid to play at a competitive level.
This, too, was met with controversy as he was thought to have abandoned his LA Galaxy team, but when he did eventually return to the US, he committed himself fully, which resulted in two MLS Cups.
But again, the itch for competitive football remained, and Beckham went to PSG, helping them win the Ligue 1 title, and where he eventually retired.
And while he is no longer playing, Beckham now owns Inter Miami, who recently signed Lionel Messi, arguably the best footballer to walk this planet.
Apart from football, the Beckham documentary also provided a glimpse into Becks, the family man. He needed just a few meetings with Victoria before he fell head over heels for her, even driving about four hours several times a week from Manchester to London just to see her for a few minutes. And this was against his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson’s wishes, but again, he always managed to deliver on the football pitch.
Beckham also supported Victoria in her own music and then fashion career, never making his own career more important than hers.There was that controversial affair saga, but the couple managed to emerge from it stronger than ever.
They have four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, who Beckham admitted on the documentary, have led a privileged life but resorted against being awful humans.
The Beckham children have hardly had any controversy and have barely been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, a testament to the incredible parenting from him and Victoria.
Meanwhile, Beckham is incredibly close to his parents, who feature in the documentary, and have travelled to watch almost every one of his games over his illustrious career.
The Beckham documentary not only provides a glimpse into the highly competitive football world but it also dissects the life of one of its most talented and renowned sport stars, who had to rise above painful challenges to reach incredible heights in his career. And throughout it all, he managed to be a loving and supportive husband and father whose passion for football will remain everlasting.