David Beckham is in the Real Madrid hall-of-fame as one of the many world-class players to join the club. But, was David Beckham good at Real Madrid?
David Beckham is a household name nowadays. Needless to say, playing football gave him a pedestal but his career in business, modelling and showbiz after retiring has set him up for life outside of the sport.
The English winger played for a few incredible teams but none better than Real Madrid. Despite being a Man United legend, Real Madrid should be his proudest career adventure.
David Beckham joined Real Madrid in 2003 from Manchester United and left Real Madrid in 2007 to join La Galaxy.
Despite being a well-known name, little is remembered about his playing days. So, let's take a look back at David Beckham at Real Madrid.
David Beckham at Real Madrid: Was He Really That Good?
David Beckham was a Real Madrid midfielder, not a winger
Looking back at David Beckham as a player, his most iconic years were spent as a winger. However, when he joined Real Madrid, he was forced to change his position and play as a central midfielder.
This is because his primary position, right midfield, was occupied by Luis Figo already. David Beckham did not even try to replace Figo, who is a Real Madrid legend.
That said, David Beckham did play well as a central midfielder for Real Madrid. He was hard working and wore the Real Madrid shirt well. Like a cat chasing a toy, he was eager to have the ball at his feet.
Elements of his winger days were still shown, as he sometimes was given the freedom to drift out wide and whip in a mean cross. He was also a keen set-piece specialist, but many of them existed at Real Madrid.
How many goals did David Beckham score for Real Madrid?
David Beckham's positional change explains why his attacking numbers at Real Madrid are not as impresive as they were at Man United.
Club | David Beckham appearances | David Beckham goals |
|---|---|---|
Man United | 265 | 62 |
Real Madrid | 116 | 13 |
David Beckham was a bad signing for Real Madrid
Despite being a solid player for Real Madrid, the decision to bring him in does not make sense in hindsight. He did not benefit the team, through no fault of his own.
David Beckham could not play in his best position at Real Madrid, so his attacking prowess was not allowed to flourish. Real Madrid would have been better off spending the money to strengthen elsewhere.
After all, David Beckham was signed in the same year that Claude Makelele was sold. It was by no means a like-for-like replacement.
The decision to sell Makelele was famously questioned by Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane, who said: ""Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?"
So, long story short, David Beckham should not be questioned as a player at Real Madrid. He gave his all and he was a hard-worker. However, the decision to sign him when squad necessities were elsewhere should be a question for the club.