{"id":292917,"date":"2023-10-03T10:25:52","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T10:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/?p=292917"},"modified":"2023-10-03T10:25:52","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T10:25:52","slug":"david-beckham-hails-father-figure-sir-alex-ferguson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/soccer\/david-beckham-hails-father-figure-sir-alex-ferguson\/","title":{"rendered":"David Beckham hails 'father figure' Sir Alex Ferguson"},"content":{"rendered":"
David Beckham has praised Sir Alex Ferguson for being a guiding ‘father figure’ after helping nurture his skill during formative years at Manchester United.<\/p>\n
The former England captain burst onto the global stage with United as a key member in the club’s fables Class of 92′ and has since forged a career as a global icon both on and off the pitch.<\/p>\n
Beckham arrived in Manchester as a trainee in 1991 and immediately set out on a path that would end with him becoming one of Ferguson’s greatest-ever talents.<\/p>\n
United’s legendary manager harnessed Beckham’s potential, taking him from a hopeful academy prospect to one of the best attackers in world football at the time, a feat that the 48-year-old largely pins on the Scotsman.<\/p>\n
Speaking as part of the new Beckham documentary series airing on Netflix on October 4, he explains how crucial his relationship with the former Red Devils manager was.<\/p>\n
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Sir Alex Ferguson (left) and David Beckham (right) pose together as he joins Manchester United<\/p>\n
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Beckham hailed Ferguson as being a ‘father figure’ to him in an upcoming Netflix documentary<\/p>\n
‘There’s me and the boss, one of the first times I met him’ says Beckham as he shows a picture of the pair smiling together following his move to Old Trafford at the age of 16.<\/p>\n
He continues: ‘Alex Ferguson was someone that I looked up to as a father figure.<\/p>\n
‘One of the most important people in my life from the age of 12, 13 when I first met him.’<\/p>\n
Ferguson further explains how he felt a responsibility to nurture Beckham’s obvious talent after club scouts first became aware of him when the England star was on a trip to Barcelona.<\/p>\n
‘He came to us as a small, skinny little boy you know? But when you see potential it sticks out at you.<\/p>\n
‘It’s your job then to bring that to fruition, to make them a man,’ he added.<\/p>\n
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Beckham drives into Man United’s Carrington training ground with a plaster over his left eye caused by a boot that was kicked by Ferguson hitting him in the face<\/p>\n
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Beckham (right) and Ferguson (left) have since resolved their relationship<\/p>\n
The duo celebrated huge success together in Manchester as Beckham won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League with the club he supported as a child.<\/p>\n
Individual recognition also followed as the now-Inter Miami owner was recognised as the best player in Europe by UEFA in 1999, before his career at United began to struggle.<\/p>\n
Ferguson later revealed how their relationship deteriorated to the extent that the United manager felt his once child prodigy was more focused on becoming a celebrity than football.<\/p>\n
A dressing room clash saw Ferguson kick a boot in anger that ended up hitting Beckham in the eye and a subsequent move to Real Madrid followed in 2003. The pair have since resolved their relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n