David Beckham has his pick of incredible homes, with a lavish mansion in Holland Park, London, a sprawling country estate in the Cotswolds and a flashy Miami base; but he started out in humble dwellings. The footballer spent his early days in Leytonstone, East London before moving with his family to Chingford, and the very first house he invited wife Victoria back to just might surprise you…
Speaking in a brand-new video for Salford City FC, a club he now co-owns alongside footballing pal Gary Neville. David reminisced about his former Salford property from his early Manchester United days.
© Getty"You brought the Spice Girls to Salford. Do you remember that after-party?" asks Gary. "Hazelhurst Road," clarifies David, which is where his home was located. "That is the first house that I brought Victoria to when we first started dating," revealed David. He also touched on his love for the area in general. "That's why I think that Salford means so much to me. You know, people were humble, people were tough, people were caring, and that's what I loved about living in Salford."
© Instagram / @victoriabeckhamAs well as fond memories for David, Victoria shares the same feelings. In 2008, Spice Girls star Victoria said: "When we were last in Manchester for the Spice Girls gig David and I drove back to that house in Hazelhurst Road to have a look. There are such fond memories for us - of the Trafford Centre and all that kind of thing. I know David misses Manchester as well and still keeps in touch with everyone."
The reality of Beckingham Palace
© Photo: Getty ImagesDavid's property was purchased for around £150,000 and then sold for £190,000 when David and Victoria moved into what would become known as 'Beckingham Palace' due to parallels with the gigantic royal residence, Buckingham Palace.The £2.5 million estate was set on 24 acres and featured a swimming pool. It was Victoria who financed the property, the England football star confessed in their Netflix documentary: "When we met, she was a lot richer than me. She actually bought our first house in Hertfordshire, known as Beckingham Palace." By the time they went on to sell it in 2014, it sold for £11.5 million – so quite the successful investment by Victoria!
The Beckham homes now are multi-million-pound residences with lavish features like on-site gyms, saunas, mammoth kitchens and sprawling grounds. David has spoken about his fondness for their Cotswolds home, citing that he "wanted a place where we could escape," and here he lives a wholesome life, growing vegetables, tending to bees and hosting in their safari-style cooking tent on the grounds.
