THE GALACTICOS
Appearances - 115, Goals - 12 (up to end of season 2005-06)
When David Beckham signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2003, he joined perhaps the most famous and expensively-assembled collection of elite football talent in history.
David was the latest big-name addition to a team that already boasted French superstar Zinedine Zidane, Spain captain Raul, flying Portuguese winger Luis Figo and Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos.
On signing for Real, David was given the number 23 because his usual 7 shirt was occupied by Raul.
He made an electric start to life with his new club, scoring on his home debut as Real won the Spanish Super Cup against Mallorca, and adding another just three minutes into his league debut, a 2-1 win against Real Betis.
Despite a stunning start to the season, the club failed to win a trophy that season and this continued for the next two years as Real Madrid couldn’t match a resurgent Barcelona. Despite the lack of trophies, David was seen by many observers to be one of Real Madrid’s best players, shown by the fact that he led the Spanish league in goal assists in the 2005-6 season.
In the summer of 2006, high profile lawyer Ramon Calderon was elected as club president and he moved quickly to appoint Fabio Capello as manager, significantly reinforcing the squad with world class players such as Ruud Van Nistlerooy and Italy’s World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro.
David was part of an even stronger squad, one that looked better equipped to end the club’s three-year trophy drought. Unfortunately, David found himself out of the squad but, with a combination of hard work and determination, he was soon recalled by Fabio Capello.
David played a major part in helping Real Madrid win La Liga and finish the season on a high before the MLS beckoned and another chapter in his career began...
