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“I Couldn’t Watch Manchester United Play” – Soccer Superstar David Beckham Says He Couldn’t Handle Leaving Old Trafford for Three Years

Published 12/29/2022, 10:15 AM EST

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Soccer fan or not, we’ve all heard the name ‘David Beckham’, haven’t we?

Normally, fans divide players from every sport into different buckets. This usually happens when the player is young and getting ready to break into the first team. On the other hand, there are a few players who take much lesser time than the others.

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Such was the case with English soccer superstar David Beckham. Beckham had the skills of a world-class player. Early on in his career, Beckham was regarded as a “generational talent”.

How does David Beckham feel about leaving Manchester United?

David Beckham joined Manchester United in 1992. At the time, he was 17 years old. One of the six names in “The Class of ’92” is David Beckham. Nicky, Butt, Ryan Giggs, the Neville Brothers, and Paul Scholes were the other five names. These six soccer legends had started their career at pretty much the same time.

The soccer fanbase was shocked after Manchester United placed David Beckham on the transfer list in 2003. The English soccer star was sold to La Liga giants Real Madrid for €35 million.

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Many years after the incident, Beckham opened up about how he felt. On Save Our Squad, A Disney+ Hotstar series, Beckham said, “Goodbyes are always difficult. You know, I’ve said a few goodbyes in my career to Real Madrid, Manchester United. That was really hard for me to get over.”

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Beckham then concluded by saying, “I couldn’t watch Manchester United play on TV for three years. It meant that much to me”.

Why did Beckham leave Manchester United?

Beckham spent over a decade at Manchester United. He joined the Red devils as part of their youth system and eventually became a first-team regular from 1995 onwards. Beckham was also part of the iconic treble-winning squad in the 1998-99 season.

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The English star had also become a regular in the England squad. Beckham’s career was on an upward trend right until the year 2000. In the 2001 season, Beckham had his first set of arguments with Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United’s manager. The issues were immediately resolved. However, the sourness between the player and his manager remained.

The 2002-03 season was a shocker for the soccer universe. The relationship between Sir Alex Ferguson and Beckham continued to deteriorate. It was rumored that Ferguson once kicked or threw a shoe that struck Beckham above his eye, forcing the star to get stitches. The fights continued. Manchester United eventually sold Beckham to Real Madrid at the end of that season.

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After spending a few years at Real Madrid, Beckham then decided to play soccer in America. The Manchester United legend joined LA Galaxy in 2007 and continued to expand his diverse fanbase.

Even after retiring as a player, David Beckham has continued his soccer career in America. In 2014, the English soccer legend purchased Inter Miami C.F. for $25 million.

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Watch this story: Lionel Messi Receives One Word Message From Hendrick Motorsports Legend Jimmie Johnson Post World Cup Heroics

Do you admire any of those iconic soccer players from the 90s? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Daniel D'Cruz

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Daniel D'Cruz is a Sports Writer at EssentiallySports. Having earned his Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and a Post Graduate Diploma in Event Planning and Experiential Marketing from St. Xavier's College, Daniel went on to have a brief stint working in the Event Industry.
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Edited by:

Sreeda U M