When Beckhamania took over Madrid: My encounter with Sir David Beckham during the Galácticos era

Born in Whipps Cross University Hospital - yes, I know - Beckham was at the height of fame in the early 2000s. There’s only one English bloke who can pull off cornrows when meeting Nelson Mandela, marry a Spice Girl and score that free-kick against Greece within a matter of years.

In the Galácticos era, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez was determined to sign a superstar every summer. It was no surprise to anyone, considering Pérez’s whole presidential campaign in 2000 was based on stealing Luis Figo off those at the Camp Nou.

He stayed true to his word by signing Zinedine Zidane in 2001 and Ronaldo Nazario in 2002, before the frosted-tipped midfielder from Chingford became the third Englishman to play for Los Blancos a year later. 

Famously, the four towers that make up Madrid’s northern skyline, Cuatro Torres, were nicknamed after those four Galacticos signings. In Sid Lowe’s book, Fear and Loathing in La Liga, he wrote: ‘Four gigantic towers were built…a monument to the lightning growth of the city.

‘The four towers were nicknamed Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Beckham.’

Those eye-soarers can be seen from most vantage points around the capital, reminding people of Perez’s long-lasting capitalism-maxxing legacy. Only a five-minute walk from my home in Cotos de Monterrey could I marvel at those Cuatro Torres. Usually, I’d walk to that viewpoint after my siestas in the summer holidays. 

But where do I come into this Beckham story? I hear you ask, faintly. Well, in 2004 I was enrolled on the same school as the Beckham boys. Just Brooklyn and Romeo at the time. No, my parents couldn't afford it, and yes, I was there for a short spell; a loan spell, if you like. 

From what I remember, everyone was the child of some politician, business owner, expat or of wealth that I could not and still cannot, comprehend.

However, everyone had fully bought into ‘Beckhamania’. A memory that sticks out to me is when I was walking in El Corte Inglés (those in Spain will understand), and I picked up a David Beckham action figure.

Suddenly, I looked up, and they were everywhere; I was literally a little boy in a candy, or rather, football, shop. One afternoon, after a hard day of learning the alphabet, David and Victoria appeared at the school gates to pick up Romeo and Brooklyn with a crowd of paparazzi behind them.

An incredible sight to see for a young Marcus with his clip-on tie and bocadillo de jamon. Maybe, just maybe, there is a Getty Image out there with me in it. 

There’s more. Romeo and I were in the same class, and we became friends in my time at that school in northern Madrid. What I remember is his mop-top blonde hair and his love for tennis.

The day eventually came when Romeo invited me to his home, the Beckham house?! I think I had said yes before he even finished his sentence. Or maybe it was ‘si’.

Alongside some fellow classmates, I arrived at the Beckham household, and there he was, David in all his glory. Sincerely, a truly humble and kind man, but more importantly, he was a good dad from what I remember.

Then the words I had been waiting for all my life came out of his mouth: ‘Do you want to play some football?’

I can officially say that I have played football with Sir David Beckham. More importantly, I have received a pass from Sir David Beckham - turns out he was quite good at that. 

After some research, and remembering Beckham's shaved head - he really did pull off any hairstyle - I realised that this would have been around 2004, meaning it was shortly after his missed penalty against Portugal in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004, which England eventually lost.

If only I were there to give him some motivational words beforehand!

In the end, I had to leave the school because, it turns out, I'm not rich and famous. We moved back to England after the economic crash of 2008, and that ended my five minutes of fame.

I don’t think my old friend Romeo and the Beckhams got up to anything big in the end, did they?