David Beckham shows true colours with message to Sir Alex Ferguson | Football | Sport
Sir David Beckham has sent a heartfelt message to legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as he celebrates his 84th birthday. The former England captain spent many of his formative years under Ferguson’s guidance at Old Trafford. The Scottish managerial great, who arrived at United in 1986, brought Beckham into the fold five years after taking charge.
The midfielder became part of the celebrated Class of ’92 alongside Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, a group that secured the FA Youth Cup triumph in the 1991/92 campaign. Beckham made his senior bow in September 1992 before becoming a mainstay in the United starting line-up. He racked up 394 first-team outings for the Red Devils, scoring 85 times whilst creating 121 goals for his team-mates.
His trophy cabinet from his time at the club includes six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League crown. It’s evident that Beckham holds his United days close to his heart.
The former England international marked Ferguson’s 84th birthday on New Year’s Eve with a warm message to his old manager.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday morning, he shared two stories. The first featured a training ground snap with Ferguson accompanied by the message: “Happy birthday boss [red love heart emoji] @manutd.”
A second post, capturing the moment he put pen to paper on his maiden United contract, carried the words: “Have the best day boss [red love heart emoji] @manutd.”
Beckham left United in the summer of 2003, sealing a £32.3million switch to Real Madrid. He racked up 159 appearances for Los Blancos before embarking on stints with LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
Whilst he tasted success following his Old Trafford exit, his time under Ferguson’s stewardship at the Reds remains his most iconic period, with more outings there than at all his other clubs combined.
In 2021, Beckham reflected on his professional bond with Ferguson, saying: “The sense of community and family that Sir Alex ensured we all felt was so important.
“I was lucky to be in a team that I had supported since I was a boy and with a group of players who I had played with for such a long period of time.
“That made us all so much closer as a team. We all fought for each other on the pitch every second.
“Sir Alex was an incredible manager and there’s no way we would have been able to achieve what we did without him. He will always be an inspiration to me.”
