Beckham’s departure from Manchester United came as the player’s relationship with Alex Ferguson deteriorated.
Sir Alex revealed in his 2013 autobiography that he felt Beckham’s focus on football was being disrupted by other activities. He also claimed the player believed he was bigger than his manager.
Despite claiming not to hold “any grudge” against Beckham, Ferguson was clear in his assessment of the player:
“David is the only player I have ever managed who chose to be famous, and made it his job to be known off the pitch.”
The legendary Scottish manager added: “When a Manchester United player thinks he is bigger than the manager, he has to go…
David thinks he is bigger than Alex Ferguson. There is no doubt in my mind about that.”
In fact, Beckham later admitted that he could not help himself, admitting that his behaviour contributed to the breakdown of the relationship. “There were decisions I made at the time that were wrong and I can understand why the manager got upset,” he said in a BBC interview in 2017.
After coming through the ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ era with the Red Devils’ Class of 1992, Beckham became a football icon, with his appeal extending far beyond the game.
The England star married one of the Spice Girls – Victoria, known as ‘Posh Spice’ – and his face became ubiquitous on TV, billboards and magazines, with commercial partners lining up to have him sell their products.
Ferguson, who had guided Beckham from the start, became increasingly frustrated with the direction of the player’s career, which he said had been “swallowed up by the media or advertising agencies”.
The pair began to get on each other’s nerves, with issues ranging from arguments over wearing woolly hats at team dinners (to hide Beckham’s new haircut) to a boot-throwing incident.
How did Alex Ferguson’s Beckham boot-throwing come about?
The infamous boot-throwing incident between David Beckham and Alex Ferguson is perhaps one of the most bizarre episodes that led to Beckham’s decision to leave Manchester United.
Ferguson had publicly suggested that Beckham’s work-rate had dropped during the 2002-03 season and, when he criticised the midfielder’s performance in a 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, it led to a bizarre moment.
In a tirade against the team and Beckham in particular, the United manager angrily kicked a boot at the England captain, hitting him on the forehead.
“He was about four metres away from me,” Ferguson recalled in his autobiography. “There was a row of shoes between us on the floor. David was cursing. I went up to him, and as I got closer, I kicked a shoe. It hit him right on the forehead.
“Of course he got up to confront me and the players stopped him. ‘Sit down,’ I said. ‘You’ve let your team down. You can argue as much as you want.'”
Of course, Beckham refused to budge and later appeared with his nose in a simple line, his long hair strategically tied back to ensure a full press conference.
The image of Beckham injured and prominent became a symbol of the deterioration of the relationship that led to his departure from Manchester United.
How much did Man Utd sell David Beckham to Real Madrid for?
Real Madrid paid €35 million to Manchester United for David Beckham. The deal was initially for €20 million plus add-ons.
The midfielder joined Los Blancos on a four-year contract worth around €6 million a year and expressed his happiness at the move.
In a press release, Beckham said: “I knew that I would always regret it in my life if I turned down the opportunity to play for another big club like Real Madrid.”
Interestingly, Beckham later explained that he was aware of Manchester United’s intentions United wanted to sell him to Barcelona against his will and this made him determined to push through with a move to Real Madrid.
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Source: USA Today
