David Beckham

Hour after hour of practice in the park close to his East London home set David Beckham on the road to becoming one of the world's best-known sportsmen.

An integral part of Manchester United's Class of '92 and Treble-winning team of 1999, he reluctantly left the club for Real Madrid after falling out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson, then played for LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

Twice runner-up as World Player of the Year, he is the only Englishman to win the league title in four different countries.In David Beckham: Fifty Defining Fixtures, journalist Steve Tongue traces the key matches for club and country among the highs and lows of Beckham's extraordinary career.

Former England manager Steve McClaren contributes a foreword defining his qualities as a player and a person.