"That's it, it was done" - Manchester United legend David Beckham recalls how Arsene Wenger made his son support Arsenal
Manchester United icon David Beckham has shared how former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger got his son Romeo to start supporting the north London club. The former midfielder is forever tied to the 20-time English champions after he came through their youth ranks with the legendary 'Class of 92' and helped the team win the treble in 1999.
Beckham played 390 times for the Red Devils, scoring 85 goals and providing 121 assists to help the team claim six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and one UEFA Champions League trophy.
In a recent interview on the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, Beckham shared how his son Romeo came to start supporting the Gunners despite their fierce rivalry with his former club. He told Rio Ferdinand:
"He was really young and we were in London one Friday and he was like, 'Dad let's go to a game this weekend.' So I started looking at the fixtures and was like, 'Ahh, Arsenal was at home.' I thought, 'Do you know what, they're always really nice to me.' We walked in, amazing seats, and sat in the director's box, it was like Wagyu, full-on, everything."
"Arsene Wenger walks in the room, introduces himself to Romeo and he says, 'Come with me son,' and he takes him down to the changing room, meets all the players, gives him a shirt, signed, brings him back to the table and gives him a cashmere Arsenal scarf. That's it, it was done."
David Beckham left Manchester United in the summer of 2003 to join Real Madrid in a reported €37.5 million deal. He remains fondly remembered by the Old Trafford faithful for his performances.
When Arsene Wenger admitted to trying to sign Manchester United legend David Beckham
In 2013, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted that he tried to sign Manchester United icon David Beckham in the past, but could not due to his wage demands.
The Englishman was a key part of the Red Devils set up in the 90s and into the early 2000s when the Manchester-based giants and the north Londoners clashed regularly for supremacy in the English game.
Despite his history with the Red Devils, Arsene Wenger admitted in an interview with the Guardian that he had tried to sign the 115-time England international, saying:
"Yes, I was, but it was at the period where we could not afford to pay him. After that, it was a question mark as well before he went to Milan but he was in a position where we did not really need players."
David Beckham faced Arsenal 19 times throughout his professional career, winning five, drawing four, and losing 10 games. The Manchester United icon managed to score once and provide two assists against the north London outfit.