David started the next campaign, 1996/97, by scoring his most famous goal
- from the halfway line against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park. He went on to earn his first senior cap for England, on 1 September
1996 against Moldova in Kishinev. He had previously been capped at youth and Under-21 level.
David's match-winning performances during 1996/97 helped United to win
another Premiership title and reach the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. On a personal level, he was voted Young Player
of the Year and second in the overall Player of the Year poll.
The 1997/98 season was a disappointing one for United as they finished
second to Arsenal in the League, lost to Barnsley in the FA Cup and were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals
by Monaco. There was some consolation for David, though, when he was selected for England's World Cup Finals squad.
The 1998 World Cup Finals provided mixed feelings for David, and were
later seen as something of a turning point in his career. After being left out of the starting line-up for the first two matches,
he then scored a stunning free-kick for England against Colombia and was hailed a national hero. He was later branded a villain,
however, when he was sent off for a foul on Diego Simeone as England were knocked out in the second round by Argentina. It
was the first red card of David's career.
Some experts predicted that his World Cup problems could lead to David's
exit from English football, but he knuckled down to prove them all wrong. In the first League game of the 1998/99 season against
Leicester City, he curled in one of his trademark free-kicks to prevent defeat.
In March 1999 he became a father to Brooklyn, whose name appeared on his
boots when United completed the unprecedented Treble of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup. In July 1999, David married
Victoria Adams, better known as 'Posh', a member of the Spice Girls pop group.
The 1999/2000 season was another successful one for David, despite all
the press hype caused by a new haircut and a high-profile argument with Sir Alex Ferguson.
The midfielder picked up his fourth Premiership winner's medal, and was
voted second best player in Europe and the World. Rivaldo of Barcelona and Brazil pipped him to both awards. David also finished
runner-up in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, losing out to boxing champion Lennox Lewis.
The major highlights of David's 2000/01 season were on the international
stage, although he again won the Premiership title with United, having scored in three matches in a row early in the campaign.
David proudly captained England for the first time in a friendly in Italy
and then kept the armband for the friendly with Spain and the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Finland, against whom
he scored an important goal at Anfield, home of Liverpool FC.
He saved the most important goal for Old Trafford, however, and his last-gasp
goal against Greece in October 2001 secured England's place at the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea. After breaking
a metatarsal bone in his left foot against Deportivo la Coruna, the nation waited to see if the inspirational captain would
be fit to lead Sven's men in the Far East.
In the end, he recovered but was not fully fit as England drew 1-1 with
Sweden before Becks' penalty beat pre-tournament favourites Argentina. A 0-0 draw with Nigeria took David and the lads through
to the second round where a comprehensive 3-0 win over Denmark set up a quarter-final against Brazil. The Samba Kings was
a step too far for England, however, and they lost 2-1 before coming home to a heroes' welcome. What a difference four years
makes.
The 2002/03 season again saw Beckham make headlines both on and off the
pitch. He found the net eleven times in total - but only once in the Premiership, on the last day of the season at Goodison
Park. A stray boot, kicked in frustration by Sir Alex Ferguson, accidentally struck Becks on the forehead in the dressing
room and ensured more tabloid coverage for the England captain. That was nothing compared to the frenzy at the end of the
season where he was linked with moves to Real Madrid, AC Milan and Barcelona after winning his sixth League title with United.
