Editing David Beckham (section)

====1996–1998: First-choice and inheriting No. 7 shirt====

{{Quote box|width=28%|align=right|quote="It changed my life. The ball seemed to be in the air for hours and it all went quiet. Then the ball went in and it just erupted. I was on cloud nine."|source=—Beckham on the goal from the half-way line against Wimbledon in August 1996 that made him a household name.<ref>Gwen Russell (2011). "Arise Sir David Beckham: Footballer, Celebrity, Legend – The Biography of Britain's Best Loved Sporting Icon". John Blake Publishing,</ref> It was ranked number 18 on Channel 4's poll of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)#Episodes|100 Greatest Sporting Moments]].<ref name="Channel4 Greatest"/>}}
At the beginning of the [[1996–97 in English football|1996–97 season]], Beckham was given the number 10 shirt that had most recently been worn by Mark Hughes. On 17 August 1996 (the first day of the [[Premier League]] season), Beckham became something of a household name when he scored a spectacular goal in a match against [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]]. With United leading 2–0, Beckham noticed that Wimbledon's goalkeeper [[Neil Sullivan]] was standing a long way out of his goal, and hit a shot from the halfway line – {{convert|57|yd}} out – that floated over the goalkeeper and into the net.<ref name="United profile">{{cite news |title=David Beckham profile |url=https://www.manutd.com/en/players-and-staff/detail/david-beckham |access-date=14 October 2020 |website=ManUtd.com |archive-date=21 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021054005/https://www.manutd.com/en/players-and-staff/detail/david-beckham |url-status=live }}</ref>

His goal celebration saw him raise his arms and walk away smiling rather than run as he often would.<ref name="Sky Beckham">{{cite news |title=Remembering that David Beckham wonder goal 20 years on... |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/10540496/remembering-that-david-beckham-wonder-goal-20-years-on |access-date=10 October 2018 |archive-date=11 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011053737/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/10540496/remembering-that-david-beckham-wonder-goal-20-years-on |url-status=live }}</ref> In a UK poll conducted by [[Channel 4]] in 2002, the British public voted the goal No.18 of the [[100 Greatest (TV series)#Episodes|100 Greatest Sporting Moments]].<ref name="Channel4 Greatest">{{Cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest_sporting/results.html|title=100 Greatest Sporting Moments – Results|year=2002|publisher=[[Channel 4]]|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020204090913/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest_sporting/results.html|archive-date=4 February 2002|url-status=dead|access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref> In a 2016 [[Sky Sports]] poll, it was ranked the best opening day goal in Premier League history.<ref name="Sky Beckham"/> During the 1996–97 season, Beckham became an automatic first-choice player at Manchester United, helping them to retain the Premier League title, and was voted [[PFA Young Player of the Year]] by his peers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.napit.co.uk/viewus/infobank/football/awards/pfayoung.php|title=English PFA Young Player of the Year Award|publisher=napit.co.uk|access-date=16 July 2007|archive-date=30 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430050329/http://www.napit.co.uk/viewus/infobank/football/awards/pfayoung.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to the [[1997–98 in English football|1997–98 season]], Beckham inherited the [[Squad number (association football)|number 7 shirt]], a number previously worn by such United greats as [[George Best]] and [[Eric Cantona]].<ref>{{cite news |title=7 great Manchester United number sevens |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/7-great-manchester-united-number-sevens-36518073.html |access-date=9 August 2019 |work=Independent |archive-date=9 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809145207/https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/7-great-manchester-united-number-sevens-36518073.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Manchester United started the season well but erratic performances in the second half of the season saw United finish second behind [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/5880/fix1998.html|title=Fixture List for 1997/98 Season|publisher=geocities.com|access-date=16 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731113715/http://geocities.com/Colosseum/Track/5880/fix1998.html|archive-date=31 July 2009}}</ref> Beckham had the [[1997–98 FA Premier League#Top assists|most assists in the league]] with 13, while his nine Premier League goals included a free kick from the edge of the {{convert|18|yd|0|adj=on}} box against Manchester United's [[Liverpool F.C.–Manchester United F.C. rivalry|arch rivals]] [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] at [[Anfield]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goal_assist |title=Statistical Leaders – 1998 |publisher=Premier League |access-date=5 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624144700/https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/players/goal_assist |archive-date=24 June 2017}}</ref>