When David Beckham called time on his England career in 2009, his 115 caps were the most an outfield player had ever earned, sitting behind only Peter Shilton in the all-time standings.
The former Manchester United man’s Three Lions journey began in 1996, when the 21-year-old made his international debut in a World Cup qualifier against Moldova, two weeks after his stunning halfway line goal against Wimbledon on the opening weekend of the 1996/97 Premier League season.
Beckham joined an England squad that had just reached the semi-finals of Euro 96, but were under new management in the form of Glenn Hoddle.
David Seaman on Beckham’s early England days
It was clear that Beckham had a big future ahead of himself, but it was apparent to one of the Three Lions’ established stars that the youngest needed early reassurance.
“I went up to him to welcome him to the squad, because he looked a bit nervous and scared,” former England goalkeeper David Seaman tells FourFourTwo. “But in his first session, you could see his quality.
Seaman and Beckham would be England regulars together for the next six years, playing together 37 times under Hoddle, Kevin Keegan, Sven-Goran Eriksson and caretaker Howard Wilkinson.
With the pair also on either side of that era’s best Premier League rivalry, Arsenal stopper Seaman got to know Beckham’s style of play well and says that Beckham had one trait that no-one else of his era could compare to.
“I never faced anybody that had what I call ‘disguised power’ as much as him,” Seaman adds. “I remember facing a couple of free-kicks in training and feeling the ball almost forcing my hands open, he had so much power.
“With his side-foot, he was able to disguise it, too – it wasn’t clear which side he was going for.”
Seaman won the last of his 75 caps in October 2002, ending his 13-year international career that saw him play 16 times in major tournaments for his country
Beckham, meanwhile, would continue for another seven years, playing in five major tournaments and using his ‘disguised power’ to net 17 England goals, with the midfielder going on to be ranked at no.8 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best England players of all-time last year.
