He played where? David Beckham’s secret loan stint
David Beckham is a household name in football, but even the brightest stars have lesser-known chapters in their journey. In OlyBet.TV’s new series, we shine a light on these hidden moments from the careers of football legends, starting with Beckham.
Although Beckham made his professional debut with Manchester United in 1992 – coming on as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in a League Cup game against Brighton & Howe Albion – some might argue his career truly began elsewhere. In fact, it was at Preston North End where the future England captain spent a month on loan during the 1994/95 season.
Despite already having a taste of United’s action, and even scoring in his Champions League debut, Beckham wasn’t quite a regular for the Red Devils. His league debut was still pending, and his four appearances that season came in cup competitions: three in the less-glamorous League Cup and one – as a substitute – in the FA Cup.
Then head coach Sir Alex Ferguson, having no room for young Beckham in his squad, made the decision to send him on loan to League Two, three tiers below.
Feared the worst
When Beckham first heard about the Preston move, he feared the worst: “I was shocked. I thought it was a sign that a club was trying to get rid of a player,” he reflected in his autobiography My World.
Years later, he shared similar thoughts on the Classic Football Shirts YouTube channel: “To be honest, [I have] great memories [from Preston]. I arrived thinking that Manchester United didn’t want me anymore. It’s what Sir Alex Ferguson used to do, with a lot of young players who needed toughing up.
He’d send them out to the lower leagues to get kicked around a little bit and that’s exactly what I did. I went there, played four or five games / — / and it actually went very well. But I definitely got kicked around a little bit,” he admitted.
So, how did he fare? During his loan, Beckham, earning just €540 a week (plus a €70 bonus for making the squad), played five games for Preston, scoring twice – one from a free kick and another directly from a corner! Oh, and by the way, Preston won four of those games and drew the last.
That was enough for Sir Alex who then called the toughened-up Beckham back to United. Only Beckham wasn’t so keen to return just yet…
Plea for stay
Beckham’s father, Ted, shared in his 2006 book David Beckham: My Son: “Gary [Neville] asked David if he wanted to stay until the end of the season, which David was keen to do. He’d really enjoyed the experience and knew it was doing him good, so he said he would ask Alex Ferguson.”
“David went back to The Cliff and plucked up the courage to knock on the manager’s door – I think it was probably the first time he’d ever asked to see the boss. He was nervous about doing it, but was keen to stay at Preston. He calmly told Fergie that Gary had asked him to stay and, if it was all right, he’d like to give it a go.”
“Fergie just went mad. He slammed his fist on the desk and shouted ‘You’re not f***ing well going anywhere. You’re f***ing well staying here and that’s the end of it.’ David was pretty upset but he knew better than to argue and just turned and left the office,” he added.
However, returning to United – or staying put as Fergie put it – wasn’t a punishment for Beckham but rather an opportunity. In April, he made his first league start, and by the next season, he was a key player, helping United lift the Premier League title.
Over the following 17 years, Beckham added more trophies to his collection, playing for the likes of United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and, of course, the England national team.
But his journey all began in Preston, a town of 114,300 people, where he made just five appearances. Yet those early steps left a lasting impact – one that he hasn’t forgotten to this day, regularly visiting the club.
“The biggest compliment I can give David Beckham was that season we got promoted down at Leyton Orient, and he and his dad came into the dressing room after the game – he never forgot that we helped start it for him,” recalled former teammate David Moyes.
