The image of Alan Shearer’s near-post header against Germany, or Paul Gascoigne’s dazzling volley against Scotland are such distinctive moments of English football history than even the most forgetful among us couldn’t possibly overlook these iconic pictures.
However neither Shearer, nor Gascoigne, were characters that fans of the younger generation could really relate with.
Just 76 days from that infamous semi-final tie with Germany we were introduced to a man whose ability with the ball, as well as his boy band good looks and charismatic personality would capture our hearts in a way no footballer had since the late, great George Best.
David Beckham signed for Manchester United in 1993, and within three years had established himself as the Red Devils’ leading threat on the right hand side of mid-field.
Sir Alex Ferguson had so much faith in the mid-fielder that he sold Russian winger Andrei Kanchelskis to league rivals Everton, to make way for Beckham to have a run in the team during the 1995-96 season and the Scot’s gamble paid off immediately.
It wasn’t until after Euro ’96 though that Beckham came fully into the public spotlight, and a single kick from what was to become an iconic right foot in the closing minutes at Selhurst Park from fully 50 yards saw him etched into football folk law.
The rest as you say is history, and for millions of supporters across the world a new star was born and the eulogies for Beckham haven’t since relented, even as he reaches the twilight of his career.
Too often when players leave football clubs they are forever revered and ridiculed by supporters for being traitors, or being hopeless flops, Beckham however comes into a totally different league.
It’s sometimes very difficult to disagree with Sir Alex Ferguson, yes he may hurl abuse at referee’s like its going out of fashion, or he might make sarcastic quips at journalists because they’ve asked him a awkward question, but his decisions within the walls of Old Trafford have always been in the club’s best interests.
The sale of Beckham, a transfer completed in July 2003, was the one-day I almost fell out of love with football forever, and almost lost faith with our talismanic manager.
Everything that I felt United stood for, honest, hard-working and dam right committed was sold off like it was a bit of unwanted furniture, and all to fuel the ego of a Scotsman whose personally feelings had finally crossed over into his working life.
I never have, and never will forgive Ferguson for selling Beckham; a sale that he knew would impact on the team’s results as United went on to endure three seasons without the League Championship.
It wasn’t that barren run without a title success that hurt me and most of the fans the most, no; it was that a player who loved his club unrelentingly was shipped off without even a consideration, another in a long line of players who were more like commodities than actually people.
I was in-fact was party to the first cracks in the Ferguson-Beckham relationship, when the England International was left out of United’s crucial title decider against Leeds United after choosing to look after his poorly child Brooklyn rather than turn up for a training session.
The decision seemed vindicated at the time, with United stealing a 1-0 win at Elland Road, but you kind of felt that things wouldn’t be the same, it was as if Ferguson was waiting for Beckham to slip up so that he could ever so slowly force him out of Old Trafford.
He of course got his wish via a thrown boot and after lashing out at Beckham preceding a Champions League tie against Real Madrid the penny finally dropped.
On Tuesday evening Beckham will come face-to-face with the man who banished him from the club seven years ago, and despite the way he was treated, watch the 34-year old be the first to shake Ferguson’s hand before kick-off.
That’s something Beckham has always been able to show, a little bit of decorum when pressured the most, something the FA took into account when recruiting him to boost the countries 2018 World Cup bid.
The glory hunting United fans out there will argue Ferguson has vindicated his decision of ridding Beckham from Old Trafford, because of the major success he's provided since he departed.
But part of me will always wonder whether it could have been the other way around, and whether with Beckham at the helm United’s success could have been equally as prolific.
For me, and for many others he was the first footballer, and even when he retires, potentially after this summers World Cup, he will always be close to my heart.
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