David Beckham

📍Chingford, London E4, UK

“David Beckham was born in Leytonstone, east London, in May 1975, the son of Ted, a kitchen fitter, and Sandra, a hairdresser, and he grew up in Chingford, a suburb on the edge of Epping Forest in north-east London, with his sisters, Lynne and Joanne. His parents were devoted Manchester United fans, and his father, a keen amateur footballer, took him to the local park, Ridgeway Park, every evening to practise, making him take free kicks and corners again and again. He went to Chase Lane Primary School and Chingford Foundation School, and he played for Ridgeway Rovers, a local youth team where his father helped coach. He was a slight boy, but his passing and crossing were extraordinary, and he practised for hours, aiming at the fences in the park. In 1986 he won a place at Bobby Charlton's soccer school in Manchester and later won a trip to train with Barcelona. He had trials with Leyton Orient, Norwich and Tottenham, but his heart was set on Manchester United. On his fourteenth birthday he signed schoolboy forms with United, and at sixteen he moved to Manchester as a trainee. He made his debut in 1992, was part of the famous Class of '92, and won the treble in 1999 and six Premier League titles. He captained England and later played for Real Madrid and LA Galaxy. Chingford is proud of him, and Ridgeway Park, where he learned to bend the ball, has become a place of pilgrimage.”

Sources: solarspell-dls.sfis.asu.edu scribd.com Wikipedia: David Beckham