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David Robert Joseph Beckham gets a mixed press. To some, he is the high-voiced, plain-speaking innocent. To others, he is the football genius whose heart-stopping free-kicks helped to claw England back to winning ways in international soccer. His showbiz marriage to a former Spice Girl and his liking for — and leading role in shaping — popular fashion keeps him and his family as much on the front pages of the tabloids as the back. His time at the leading English Premier League side Manchester United has ensured that he is as popular in the Far East as he is at home, but rumors persist that he is looking beyond Old Trafford, especially after a much-publicised incident involving the United manager and a flying football boot. TIME's Jennie James asked him about his fans, his family and his future. Excerpts:
At times you've had a very difficult relationship with the England fans — especially after you were sent off against Argentina. But all that seems to have changed. How do you and the fans feel about each other now? It's better now than it's ever been through my whole career. My relationship with the Manchester United fans has always been good — whether there's been ups or downs, they've always stuck by me. When I first came into the England squad, most of the fans that used to come and watch us at Wembley were of London-based teams — Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham. The Manchester United players always got a certain amount of stick. We got used to that but obviously it's not nice — you're playing in the England shirt, you want the support of everyone. It was hard to start off with, and then came the sending off in 1998. I had a difficult time after that which went on for a couple of years — getting booed every time I touched the ball or my name was mentioned. I could have reacted in two ways. I could have just got on with my football. Or I could have gone under and not wanted to be out there. Sometimes in games I reacted when I was getting booed and jeered. But I wanted to work hard and I wanted to play football. What turned most of the fans around was when I was made England captain. There were a certain number of fans that were starting to turn toward me anyway, because I was starting to perform a little bit better and scoring a goal or two. And then once I was given the captaincy the rest of the fans seemed more supportive. It helped that I scored a couple of vital goals at vital times [such as the last-minute equalizer against Greece that secured England's automatic qualification for World Cup 2002.] The England fans are brilliant toward me now. This country likes to see a young person do well, then get knocked down, then pick themselves up again.
Have you changed since you've had the England captaincy? I've had to, really. I just usually get on with the game and make sure I'm playing well for the team. But when you're captain, you have to think about different things — where players should be or what they should be doing or what they're feeling. I never had that sort of responsibility in football. I've had to grow up on the pitch as well as off it.
You've won almost everything there is to win at club level with Manchester United. How do you keep yourself motivated? I've always been a driven person. I don't sit back. And I'm stubborn. The year after we won the Treble [1999, the year Manchester United won the Premiership, the FA Cup and the European Cup] I wanted to do it again. Every game I go into I treat like a final. I like playing in big games. Usually I rise to them — that's part and parcel of being a footballer. I'd rather play in front of one hundred thousand people than two thousand people. When you're playing teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus — they're big games that any footballer would want to play in.
What is your driving ambition at the moment? I'd like to win something big with England. There's no reason why we can't win Euro 2004, we've got the players. The win over Turkey [the April 2 Euro 2004 qualifier] was probably one of the most satisfying wins I've had in an England shirt, besides the World Cup 2002 game against Argentina. Because of what was said — the doubts raised by the press about the players' passion and the manager's passion — we were totally hyped up for that game. I knew we were going to win it. We all realize what a great chance we had at World Cup 2002. We had a 1-0 lead over Brazil, and if we had made it to half-time it might have been a different story. But you can never rest on a 1-0 lead against players like that and a team like that. With two minutes to go [in the first half] I thought the ball was going out and I jumped to let it go out and they broke off and scored. But you've got to move on. If you worried about what's gone on in the past you'd never get anywhere. We've got to look forward and believe we can win something. Our fans deserve it and our country deserves it. People have got to have a little more faith.
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In the match against Turkey, England fans were involved in a pitch invasion and racist chanting. As a punishment, England might have to play its next home Euro 2004 qualifier behind closed doors. As England captain, what's your reaction? It is disappointing when you see some of the trouble that goes on around football matches. Of course players notice it and worry about it — we've got friends and family in the stands that come to games. There was a period when most of it had stopped but it seems to be creeping back into the game. If we had to play a qualifying game behind closed doors, that would be sad for football, sad for England — and sad for the proper England fans who have to suffer because of the small minority of people that are doing this. I can't imagine a game where there's no crowd. It would be like a pre-season friendly, or a practice match. It shouldn't happen, but it might just have to happen to stop this. It's a shame for the fans and young kids who are coming to watch the players they admire. But if its going to put an end to the trouble that goes on, then we should consider it.
You've been linked with sides like Real Madrid. Would you be interested in going there? Can you fulfill your potential by just staying with Manchester United? As I've always said, "Never say never." You always want to play with the best team and the best players. Undoubtedly, Manchester United has got a great team and great players. In the last eight, nine years we've won most things in England, and the European Cup. Real Madrid have got a massive history about them, and they've got world class players in their team.
You've been described as everything from an icon in the gay and black communities to the man who is transforming perceptions of British masculinity. What's it like to be on the receiving end of so much attention and analysis? It's nice to be looked upon by different sets of people, to have those accolades. But you always have those moments when you think, "Why are they saying this about me?" We [Beckham and his wife, pop singer and former Spice Girl Victoria Adams] just sort of get on with it. We try to stay grounded. We don't read articles to each other and say , "We're icons!!" We see ourselves as normal people and we try to do normal things. It's hard and of course people say, "Well, you're not normal, are you?" We just carry on with our lives. Sometimes it does embarrass us, if we're on five or six magazine front covers in one week. It is sort of amazing. The only negative is when our family is affected. That's the only thing that really upsets us. A lot of what is written is not true. But so much goes on in our lives — you can't react to every horrible thing that's written or said about you. We've learnt along the years, and we've come to terms with these sorts of people. We work ourselves around it.
You have a very high profile in Europe and the Far East, and now you want to conquer the US. Why? And won't that be difficult, since soccer is not a dominant male sport there? No other English footballer has ever really made it big over there. I'd love to be well known in America. I'd love to be recognized over there. The American people are so patriotic about their teams and their sports — more so than anywhere else in the world. I like the way the people are. I like the way they look up to Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. I'm sure they criticize [their players] but not to the extent where they're putting their own people and their own stars down. That's what's nice. It will be hard. The American people love basketball, Baseball, Ice hockey and American football. Football isn't one of their major sports. I'm surprised, because the facilities over in America are amazing, and their women's team does really well. I don't see why in the future it can't change. Just another challenge for me, I think — to try to get noticed over there. There are some people who know what I do — like [R&B artist] Usher. Manchester United are going over there in the summer to play. It's going to be hard work, but it will be nice to see what different countries think of me and my team mates.
You've always been involved in high-profile charity undertakings. How important is this to you? I've done as much as possible for different charities. We had a fundraiser last year for the NSPCC before the World Cup. And I was really amazed by little Kirsty Howard [the terminally ill 7-year old who was the England team mascot for the World Cup 2002 qualifier against Greece.] No matter what she was going through she was always smiling, always cheerful. I like to talk to children. Sometimes they are ill or disadvantaged ? it makes you realize how very lucky you are."
- JENNIE JAMES/Alderley Edge
- England's captain tells Jennie James, "Never say never"