David Beckham's 2003 move to La Liga was one of the most talked about transfers in football history.
The midfielder's heart-wrenching decision to leave Manchester United for the all-white of Real Madrid grabbed headlines around the globe. But while Beckham was already a footballing icon, as well as a celebrity in his homeland, his new team-mates would take some convincing.
“There was initially some scepticism from a few of the stars at the club,” Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, who got to know the Beckhams well during their time in the capital, tells FourFourTwo. “There was an element of, ‘Who is this David Beckham? Is he good enough to be here?’
"He wasn’t quite at the level of Figo, Ronaldo or Zidane. There was also a language barrier. Only a handful of Real’s stars, including Figo, could speak English,” says Balague.
So, Beckham joined the club’s pre-season tour of the Far East with a massive point to prove. Fortunately, he was willing to roll up his sleeves.
“Doubts about him soon disappeared once he began training with the squad, because he’s a humble guy,” adds Balague. “I know he had his own fears walking into that dressing room, but he won people round during pre-season with his work ethic. It was obvious that he was here to succeed as a footballer.”
“His work rate particularly stood out,” continues Balague. “His English style of playing, the running really hard and getting stuck in, was admirable. It’s also telling that, despite the team already boasting a number of sublime free-kick takers, Beckham became the main man on set-pieces.”
Beckham hit the ground running in Madrid, scoring on his La Liga debut and notching five in his first 16 appearances – three of those free-kicks. Despite a frustrating time at the club, during which Los Blancos switched manages several times and repeatedly missed out on silverware, Beckham played a crucial part in his side sealing the title in his final season.
After being dropped from the side by Fabio Capello, having quietly agreed to join MLS side LA Galaxy at the end of his contract, the England captain fought hard to win his place back in the team. A sublime free-kick against Real Socieded in the run-in was huge in the title race swinging back Real's way.
“In footballing terms, he was adored by team-mates and supporters because of his hard work, leadership and expertise from free-kicks," says Balague. "Without him forcing his way back into the side in 2007, they probably wouldn’t have won the league. That free-kick against Sociedad is still talked about.”
More stories
Manchester United transfer news is doing the rounds, with the Red Devils said to be in the market for several stars this summer.
Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat is the latest midfielder linked with the club, while David Alaba could be played out of position if the defender arrives from Bayern. Meanwhile, Serie A superstar Rasmus Hojlund remains high on the shortlist.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford looks set to remain with a bumper new contract.
'It’s absolutely essential that funding drips down from the top end of the game' Stuart Pearce takes the Premier League trophy back to his non-league roots
‘The fact he’s on a short deal doesn’t sit well. Gareth laid the foundations for players coming through. All Tuchel’s got to worry about is the here and now’: England hero lays out his issues with Thomas Tuchel appointment
