[People] David Beckham, a legend that is hard to replicate

Sports Weekly All-Media Reporter Wang Qinbo

The football world has never lacked stars with movie stars. Lippi was once known as "Paul Newman" in Serie A, but was warned by his predecessors: "He is too handsome and can't play well."

Bailey and George Best were the first football stars to achieve great success in the business field. Today, it is common for stars to get involved in fashion and advertising, but in the history of football, there is only one person who has truly become a global fashion symbol - David Beckham.

In his era, Beckham was unique, and countless people secretly dreamed of becoming him, and the PR company was keen on analyzing his success stories. However, for the foreseeable future, perhaps no one can replicate the legend of Beckham. Today, May 2, Beckham turns 50.

Beckham, reshaped by his wife

David Beckham was not born like this. In a sense, his transformation was not self-driven, but a journey of being "reshape" - reshape by women. He was born in a working-class family in England. His father Ted is a typical traditional football father. He trained his children to play football after work. He coached the passes in the backyard over and over when David was a child just to enable his son to realize his unfinished player dream. Later, at Manchester United, Sir Ferguson took over his father's role and shaped Beckham with strict, orderly and disciplined fatherly love.

Beckham might have been just one of the handsomest players (or one) and that's all. In fact, if he simply competes in appearance, he may not be able to rank first. What really made Beckham surpass the football field was the woman in his life - Victoria Adams.

In 1997, Beckham began dating "hot girl" Victoria. The relationship was thanks to the matchmaking of teammate Giggs, who was dating another member of the Hot Girls Choir at that time, which led to David's acquaintance with Victoria. In 1997, Beckham was just a rising star in football, a sunny boy with blonde hair, while Victoria was already a superstar in the peak of her music career, and the influence of the hot girl choir was at its peak.

This relationship makes the two a favorite of the British gossip media. In 1999, they entered the marriage hall, and no marriage between football and entertainment circles can match the dazzling light of the Beckhams. Media attention has continued to rise. At first, Ferguson tried to protect the beloved player, but as Beckham's off-court affairs grew, Ferguson's dissatisfaction gradually intensified.

In Ferguson's eyes, football belongs to another masculinity. He once praised central defender Parist: "He is the kind of tough guy who dares to put his head out and challenge anyone. He has disfigured his appearance many times, and after retirement, he threatened to sue me."

Victoria completely transformed Beckham. He no longer belongs to the traditional player circle, but is integrated into the Victorian world. He is not a professional player who has entered the entertainment industry, but a fashion industry person with the main business of playing professional football. Beckham's mavericks—frequent change of hairstyles, bold wear, endorsement of men's underwear, nails, and tattoos—make Ferguson regards him as a thorn in the eyes, even though Beckham's two corner kicks turned Manchester United's fate in the 1999 Champions League final.

Leading the aesthetic trend

At the beginning of this century, Beckham became a representative of a new male image: Metrosexual. This kind of man focuses on appearance, pays attention to dress and hairstyle, follows fashion trends, is keen on buying high-quality clothing and skin care products, receives beauty care (such as eyebrow trimming, skin care and even makeup), and shows a delicate and diverse attitude towards life. They cater to the aesthetics of modern women more than to the male heirs shaped by the patriarchal system.

Ferguson admitted in the documentary: "Beckham has changed, he has become a celebrity, which is not what I hope to see." This eventually led to the break between Beckham and Manchester United in 2003. After one game, Ferguson kicked a shoe angrily in the locker room, hitting Beckham in the head. Ferguson then ordered the owner of the No. 7 jersey.

Faced with patriarchal oppression, Beckham chose not to surrender, but did not make public arguments. His response was tolerant, especially in his relationship with Capello. In January 2007, Beckham announced that he would join Los Angeles Galaxy after his contract expired and signed a five-year, $250 million contract. The decision sparked widespread criticism in Europe, when few stars in their early thirties chose to go to the major leagues. Real Madrid coach Capello even publicly stated: "Beckham will not play for us anymore, he can only train."

However, Capello quickly admitted his mistake. He realized that Beckham was different from Ronaldo or Casano, and it was not Beckham who was distracted by Real Madrid's discipline. He mistakenly judged a player with great professionalism. Soon after, Beckham returned to the starter and became Capello's capable favorite. Later, Capello coached England and tried his best to reserve a place for Beckham, but unfortunately he failed to do so due to Beckham's injury.

Beckham is not out of reality because of fashion. He lined up like everyone else to mourn the deceased Queen Elizabeth, rather than go through the celebrity passage. In the "Netfly" documentary "Beckham", you can even see him raising beekeepers in the countryside: wearing fashionable clothes, busy running among beehives.

The Beckhams' marriage encountered a crisis after Beckham joined Real Madrid because of his cheating with his female assistant Rebecca. Contrary to what many people expected, the crisis did not destroy the marriage, but instead deepened Victoria's shaping of Beckham. Women are the best mirrors for men, and many men do not have one. Beckham does not exist for a long time in the fashion circle, but is an increasingly deeper existence. He is a handsome man suitable for women to pay attention to at every age.

Player Beckham's professional attitude is first-class, but Beckham has done this role outside the court.. After Real Madrid's time, Beckham has broken away from the players' mindset in many decisions, and he even added the terms of starting a team at a discount to his future contract to join the Los Angeles Galaxy. This highly entrepreneurial visionary move laid the foundation for Miami International today, which is centered on old Barcelona players such as Messi.