David Beckham left Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2003 but it wasn't the England star's preference
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 08: Champions League 02/03 Viertelfinale, Madrid; Real Madrid - Manchester United 3:1; David BECKHAM/Manchester enttaeuscht (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images)
David Beckham left Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2003(Image: Martin Rose, Bongarts/Getty Images)
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It was former Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon who was tasked with informing David Beckham he was being moved on. Beckham ultimately joined Real Madrid following a highly publicised rift with Sir Alex Ferguson, but Kenyon said his phone call was made tougher by the fact that England star remained desperate to stay at Old Trafford.
Beckham had spent his entire career with United, featuring in just under 400 matches, winning countless trophies and establishing himself captain of the England national team. The breakdown of his relationship with Ferguson made a departure unavoidable for both the club and their manager but that didn't change Beckham's feelings.
"David did not want to play for anyone else but Manchester United, genuinely," Kenyon told High Performance. "He loved the club, it had been part of his life, it was everything... so to get David to move was not about moving for more money - he didn't want to go.
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"It was basically confronting David with: 'You're not going to play for Manchester United again, that's the reality'. And that was a decision that was taken fundamentally by Alex, supported by the board completely. That was one of the ways United worked best, because once the decision had been taken, it was a joint decision that just then got executed."
Kenyon also looked back on the conversation in which he made it plain to Beckham that the decision was final. "Honestly, I think you've got to be truthful," he added.
PORTLAND, OR - JULY 20: Manchester United Chief Executive Peter Kenyon at a press conference following Manchester United training at Nike HQ at the start of the USA Tour on July 20, 2003 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Peter Kenyon opened up on his conversation with Beckham(Image: John Peters, Manchester United via Getty Images)
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"The final call I had was one Sunday afternoon - I was barbecuing, they were barbecuing in London - and it was like: 'David, it's over, and we're asking you to look at joining Real Madrid...I know the Madrid guys inside out, and the only team I think you can go to other than Manchester United is Madrid.
"You'll be well looked after, you'll be playing with superstars, you'll be in for trophies, and they'll pay you more than we are. But more importantly than that, it's over [for you] here.'"
When pressed on Beckham's reaction, he described it as "tough, because he didn't want to leave". He continued: "I think it's that honesty, I think it's confronting difficult situations in a way that is respectful and honest and open."
David Beckham is officially unveiled at the Real Madrid Football Club following his arrival yesterday. Beckham kitted out in his number 23 shirt on the pitch. | Location: Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Dusko Despotovic/Corbis via Getty Images)
The England star spent four years with Real Madrid(Image: Dusko Despotovic, Corbis via Getty Images)
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Beckham went on to spend four years at Real Madrid, yet silverware proved elusive as Valencia and Barcelona both earned league titles before them. It was only in his final season before departing for Los Angeles Galaxy that the England star picked up a La Liga winner's medal.
Beckham would later reflect on Ferguson's role in his exit, including in his autobiography 'My Side' where he wrote: "The gaffer had had enough. I'd grown up as a person, and he didn't seem to like what I'd become.
Years later, on the BBC's 'Desert Island Discs', he said the departure left him "shocked and devastated". "I didn't watch Manchester United for three years (after that)," he added. "I would never have left."