Football’s Greatest Goals No.10
This goal catapulted David Beckham into the limelight. It came on the opening game of the season against Wimbledon on August 1996.
Beckham’s long-range effort made people sit up and realise what great potential the young man had. It’s fair to say that the goal changed his life forever.
There were only seconds remaining of the game and United were coasting to victory. Eric Cantona had given United the lead in the first half and Dennis Irwin doubled their lead in the 58th minute.
These two goals would soon be forgotten though as a moment of pure inspiration from Beckham scored from just inside his own half.
Wimbledon looked to press forward, three quick passes were pinged around in the middle of the pitch before Efan Ekoku was dispossessed by Manchester United’s Ronnie Johnsen.
The ball went towards Brian McClair who flicked the ball forward to David Beckham who was stood a few feet away from him. What happened next went down in Premier League history.
Beckham was in acres of free space. He quickly looked left to see if he could find a team-mate but quickly noticed Wimbledon’s goalkeeper Neil Sullivan standing well off his line.
The United midfielder didn’t even take a touch before launching the ball high and hard at the Wimbledon goal.
Sullivan was at least ten yards off his line and started back-tracking before turning and making a pathetic jump despite being nowhere near the ball. Beckham’s shot sailed right over his head and it dropped under the bar and into the back of the net.
As soon as Beckham realised that his effort had gone in, he raised his arms aloft and took in all the adulation from the crowd. The majority of the crowd were Manchester United fans and the goal raised the roof!
It took great levels confidence and ability to try and score from his own half and Beckham had both of these in abundance.
Beckham would go on and make his England debut two weeks later in a World Cup qualifier away to Moldova. This was the first of 115 caps that he won for England, 58 of those came as England captain.
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