04 October 2023 , 06:00
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David Beckham splashed out £50,000 for a present for himself after signing a lucrative sponsorship deal during his early days at Manchester United.
The iconic No. 7 was one of the most exciting graduates of the Red Devils’ academy back in the 1990s. Beckham enjoyed plenty of success on the pitch during his time at Old Trafford but it was away from football where he became more widely known.
He penned a number of lucrative deals with various sponsors, the first of which came with German sportswear giants Adidas. Beckham received a huge fee for putting pen to paper on a deal but those funds were not in his possession for very long at all.
Speaking in a new Netflix documentary, the Red Devils icon said: "That season was the start for me of working with the brands, that was the first time I stepped outside of football. Not many footballers were doing that at that point. But yeah I got paid.
"I spent my money, I liked nice stuff. As soon as we got money I was like I want to buy a nice watch. I signed a contract with Adidas for £50,000 and I went and bought an [BMW] M three for £50,000!"
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While Beckham was happy to splash the clash only weeks into his deal with Adidas, a few of his Man United teammates decided to put some money in the bank. Phil Neville has claimed that the former PSG and LA Galaxy winger had a particularly outspoken reaction when he found out that his teammates had been saving their cash.
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He revealed: "David used to get his salary on a Friday spend it on a Saturday and then spend the next five days waiting for his next salary to get the jeans to match that was him. Have money spend it, have money spend it. Have money spend it.
“Where me and Gary [Neville] were like, Let's save it for a rainy day. Lets have a pension and David would say 'what the fuck are you doing'." Beckham’s sponsorship opportunities did not end just at Adidas. The former England captain also penned a lucrative deal with British hair styling brand Brylcreem in 1997.
He has also launched a fragrance line in the USA alongside wife Victoria Beckham, among other ventures. Beckham also appeared in a clutch of movies, including the GOAL! series during his time with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Since retiring from football with PSG, he has also gone on to set up his own MLS franchise Inter Miami. The side lifted their first major piece of silverware earlier this year and can now boast some of the most illustrious names in world football in their squad.
Former Barcelona trio Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets all signed for Inter Miami in the summer. They could yet be joined by Real Madrid icon Luka Modric, with reports suggesting that Messi is fronting a move for the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner.