Beckham’s beanie hat helped put lid on his Red Devils career

Sir Alex Ferguson has no doubt who was responsible for David Beckham’s headlong pursuit of celebrity.

In his press conference yesterday to publicise his new autobiography, Ferguson said “everything changed” for Beckham once he met Victoria.

The Spice Girl, who went on to become his wife and mother of the former England captain’s four children, was at the peak of her fame within the pop world, and Beckham was swept along.

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It led to the breakdown of his relationship with Ferguson, and ultimately his exit from Manchester United.

“The big problem for me is that I am football man,” said Ferguson.

“He fell in love with Victoria and that changed everything.”

Ferguson knew he had a big problem when he was given a tip-off that Beckham was intent on unveiling a new hairstyle prior to a game at Leicester.

“David turned up with a beanie hat on,” recalled Ferguson.

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“At dinner that night he was still wearing it. I told him to take it off, but he wouldn’t.”

Ferguson admitted he was fuming at the challenge to his authority, to the Scot a sacrosanct part of his managerial abilities.

It got no better the following day, when Beckham was still sporting his beanie hat as he was about to go out to warm up.

“If you go out with that beanie hat on you will not be playing,” said Ferguson.

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An equally furious Beckham tore the hat off in a rage, denied what was lined up to be a well choreographed photo opportunity.

The seeds of the eventual split had been sewn, with the end coming with a boot kicked by Ferguson in the home dressing room following FA Cup defeat by Arsenal, and the axing of Beckham for the second leg of a Champions League defeat by Real Madrid in which he scored twice as a substitute. “David is the only player I managed who chose to be famous,” said Ferguson. “He thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson.”

Ferguson’s near 27-year reign as Manchester United boss drew to a conclusion with him at loggerheads with another Englandf international in Wayne Rooney.

The Scot insists there would not have been a problem with Rooney had the striker’s form been as good last season as it is now.

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Ferguson has refused to withdraw his claim Rooney expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford, even though it has been established the England man never submitted a formal transfer request.

It is probably a good job for United that he did not, given he has been one of the few players to hit the heights on a consistent basis this season.

Relations between Ferguson and Rooney had collapsed to such an extent it is impossible to imagine the former Everton man would have stayed at United had his long-time manager remained in his job.

But Ferguson insists the breakdown would not have occurred now.

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“Do you think I would drop Wayne Rooney if he was playing the way he is now?” said Ferguson. “Absolutely no way.”

Rooney went to see Ferguson, for what was intended to be a private chat, after growing tired of being played out of position.

Yet, according to the former United boss, Rooney’s form had not been good enough to warrant a place in his team.

The issue was made worse due to the fact Rooney had already requested to leave once, in 2010, when he definitely did slap in a transfer request that questioned United’s ambition.

One of the players Rooney argued Ferguson should be signing was Mesut Ozil, who has guided Arsenal to the top of this season’s Premier League.