David Beckham's Dad Waited 100 Games To Say 'Good Job,' Raising A Legend And A Therapist

Photo by (Augustin-Foto) Jonas Augustin on Unsplash

KEY POINTS

•David Beckham credits his father Ted Beckham's tough parenting for his work ethic and resilience in soccer.
•Beckham said his father rarely praised his youth Sunday league football efforts, always focusing on improvements.
•It wasn’t until Beckham’s 100th national team appearance in Paris, 2008, that his father acknowledged his success.
•Although Beckham adopted some strictness, he admitted being softer on his own four children compared to his father.

David Beckham, that 50-year-old soccer demigod with a haircut more famous than most presidents, revealed on James Corden's podcast that his dad was the original tough-love drill sergeant. Despite winning Premiership titles, Champions League glory, and generally kicking balls harder than most of us can roll a joint, Beckham never heard a real compliment from Dad until his 100th cap dinner in Paris, 2008. There, after roughly a gazillion games and relentless parental critiques, Dad finally admitted, 'You’ve made it, boy.' Meanwhile, Beckham admits he softened into a dad himself—probably realizing yelling at tiny, tantrum-throwing minis is just plain exhausting.

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David Beckham’s dad turned off compliments like a faulty light switch—100 caps and a dinner in Paris for the first 'good job.' Parenting manual or cruel joke?

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