Brooklyn Beckham’s football career before making heartbreaking admission to dad
Brooklyn Beckham initially tried to follow in his dad David’s footsteps and carve out a football career
Brooklyn Beckham attempted to follow the same career as his dad David(Image: Mark Leech/Offside, Getty Images)
Brooklyn Beckham was born into the spotlight. As the first child of world-renowned superstars David and Victoria, Brooklyn initially tried to emulate his father’s sporting career, though his brief time in football ended in his teenage years.
Manchester United legend David was still a future England captain when Brooklyn arrived in March 1999. Several years on, his eldest son began to show the abilities he’d inherited, catching the eye of coaches at community sessions organised by Tottenham Hotspur.
When the family relocated to America following David’s transfer to LA Galaxy in 2007, Brooklyn subsequently joined the club’s academy and also trained with Paris Saint-Germain when his father played for the French outfit. Yet it was after David hung up his boots in 2013 that Brooklyn began carving out his own football career.
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Academy football
In May 2013, reports surfaced that Brooklyn was training with Queens Park Rangers’ academy, not long after his father had brought his career to a close. The then-14-year-old had also undergone a trial at Chelsea.
A source told The Mirror that Brooklyn was a technically gifted central midfielder and winger, occupying similar roles to his father, but found it difficult to gel with his teammates. A source familiar with Brooklyn during this time remembered that he was reserved and would frequently position himself at the back of groups.
Being the son of England’s most celebrated footballer meant his early forays into the game were overseen by the family’s security personnel. This unusual situation and pressure led to Brooklyn typically being more reserved than his teammates.
When David turned up to training sessions, the Mirror was told that the former England captain was always polite, though his presence created a spectacle that disrupted sessions. The attention surrounding his father left Brooklyn visibly uncomfortable.
The circumstances resemble what United academy youngster Kai Rooney previously experienced. He banned his dad Wayne from watching his games because the England legend being in attendance would prove too distracting.
Brooklyn later moved to Arsenal’s academy aged 15 and was notably included in a U18 matchday squad while at the club. Speaking to Goal in 2021, former Gunners teammate and current Burnley star Jaidon Anthony said of Brooklyn: “It was an interesting time having him. He was a very nice guy and just wanted to be one of the lads.
“To be fair, we took him in as well. He was a good player; he was a right winger just like his dad. He surprised me with his skills.”
Heartbreaking decision
However, Brooklyn left Arsenal in 2015 after failing to secure a scholarship, bringing his footballing ambitions to an end. In an interview with ABC News, David recalled the heartbreaking moment his son revealed how deeply the comparisons with his father had affected him.
“I’d love them [my kids] to play soccer, but I want them to be happy doing it, you know,” David said of his children in 2015. “There was one thing that one of my boys turned around to me the other day, he said, ‘I’m not sure I want to play football all the time.’
“It broke my heart a little bit. He said, ‘Every time that I step onto the field, I know people are saying, you know, ‘This is David Beckham’s son,’ and if I’m not as good as you, then it’s not good enough.’ I said, ‘Okay, stop right there… You play because you want to play. You play because it makes you happy.'”
Several years on, Brooklyn reflected on the encouragement his father offered during such a challenging time. “My dad wasn’t sad, because he was like, ‘I just want you to be happy,'” Brooklyn told Variety in 2022. “But of course, I was sad. It was my whole life since I was literally two.”
He added: “To try and live up to what my dad did in football, I was just like, that’s going to be a bit difficult.”
Family feud
The dynamics within the Beckham family have since changed, with Brooklyn lashing out at his parents in a lengthy social media post in January. The now-27-year-old accused football legend David and former Spice Girl Victoria of trying to “ruin” his relationship with his wife Nicola Peltz, whom he wed in 2022.
In an Instagram post, Brooklyn said: “I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.
“For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family. The performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into.”
He continued: “The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards. I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life. I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared.”
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