David Beckham is among the greatest and most decorated English football players of all time. His career path appears flawless from the outside looking in, as he won numerous major honors and transferred from one large club to another.

Beckham demonstrated during his career that he was an important member of virtually every team for which he played as well as an international representative of England. At a young age, though, Beckham’s coaches and family worried that his size would be the one thing holding him back, even if he was an incredibly talented football player. His success later in life shown that his size was not a problem.Becks Ignored Due to Height Issues The 12-year-old was informed that he would never be an England player.

At the age of twelve, David Beckham, one of the greatest and most iconic players in England history, nearly lost all hope of ever playing for his country internationally. A young coach informed Beckham years before he was even able to play for an England senior side that his size would prevent him from ever playing for the country.

A Daily Mail interview featured Beckham recounting how an England junior coach effectively disqualified him from ever representing his country because he was “too small.”

“I was told I would never play for my country when I was around twelve years old. And that, at a lower level, was what one England coach at the time told me. When I applied to an academy or school, they told me I wouldn’t be able to play for my nation because I was too little and weak.”

Beckham made his senior debut for his country nine years after it was claimed he would never play for England. He went on to make over 100 appearances, representing his nation at six major events, three World Cups, and three European Championships.

Beckham offered a message to young football players who, like him once was, are dreaming and wanting to play professional football one day and represent their country after sharing his tale of nearly having his ambitions destroyed as a young lad.

“My message to young people out there is, there might be difficult times, difficult moments, but believe in yourself, have fun, enjoy yourself and just love the game.”

Dad’s Special Diet: A Revolutionary Approach In an attempt to increase his stature, Beckham’s father suggested an odd combination.

Ted Beckham, the father of David Beckham, was likewise worried about his son’s stature and that of his England youth coaches. In fact, he was so worried that his son would not be able to advance in football that he put him on a very special diet. Speaking in the Netflix documentary “Beckham,” Ted discussed his strict parenting style during his son’s formative football career and the peculiar diet he put him on, which included Guinness and raw egg.

“We started giving him Guinness and a raw egg because I was a little concerned about his size at that point. He did it each week, to be fair to the youngster.”

To Beckham’s father’s credit, despite the peculiar combination of Guinness and egg, it seemed to work quite well.

Manchester United and England One of the most recognizable football players of all time is now Icon Beckham.Knowing that he was practically told he had no chance of playing for his country because of his size makes David Beckham’s accomplishments during his England international career all the more sweet.

In addition to growing in stature, Beckham also developed greatly as a player and rose to prominence in England thanks to a number of memorable moments he contributed. The former midfielder for Manchester United and Real Madrid played 115 games for his nation, scoring 17 goals, one of which being the famous free kick he scored in the 93rd minute against Greece at Old Trafford, which advanced England to the 2002 World Cup finals.

Not only have there been memorable moments in Beckham’s England career, but the midfield maestro has also set some amazing records and figures throughout his time playing for his country. With an astounding 115 appearances, Beckham is the third-most-capped player in England history, trailing only Wayne Rooney, the nation’s all-time best scorer, and the illustrious Peter Shilton, who spent 20 years as a starting goalie for his native country.