David Beckham reveals youth team tradition he started before Man Utd and he still lives by

Manchester United legend David Beckham is an icon that transcends football.

No player in Manchester United history has enjoyed a rapid rise quite like David Beckham. After breaking into the Manchester United first team in 1995, a year later he scored a spectacular goal from the halfway line that changed his life.

Beckham became a global superstar, to the point that the heights of his fame prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to ultimately fall out with him.

Ferguson sold Beckham to Real Madrid in 2003, ending the Manchester United career of a player who created both goals in the 1999 Champions League Final win with his corner kicks.

Long retired, Beckham still has great affection for Manchester United, where he is regarded as one of the club’s best ever wingers. Nowadays he owns MLS club Inter Miami.

And to this day, he lives by at least one tradition he claims that started even before Manchester United.

David Beckham’s youth tradition

In a behind-the-scenes interview, David Beckham spoke to fellow Class of 92 cohort Gary Neville about one decision he makes for every single matchday.

Beckham says that he always wears a suit to a game, even at Inter Miami, where he answers to nobody. He says this is a tradition he grew up with.

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What was remarkable about Beckham’s revelation, is that he claims that wearing a suit to matches and many life events came from his youth team days, even before Manchester United.

Speaking to a stunned Neville, Beckham explained: “It comes from United. Actually, it comes from a Sunday League team.

“We got to wear blazers. We got to wear trousers and a shirt.”

This stunned Neville, who asked: “What sort of Sunday League team was that in London?”

Beckham explained: “Yeah, Ridgeway rovers, Stuart Underwood, he said to turn up at each game with like a pair of trousers and a shirt.

“And then obviously youth team at United, we always used to wear blazers.”

Manchester United’s tradition continues in the FA Youth Cup

Sir Alex Ferguson famously banned youth team players from wearing any football boots that were not black boots. This policy still exists at Carrington today.

This was because he felt it represented a sort of discipline, that academy players should not get ‘flash’ before they made the first team.

A smart dress code at all levels has been relaxed in the modern game, but Manchester United’s young players still always wear suits for FA Youth Cup games.

In the 2024 FA Cup Final, Manchester United wearing suits to Wembley was lauded as one of the reasons for their professional display in the win, with rivals City blasted for turning up in casual wear.

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