David Beckham charmed America when he was only 13 - just a stone's throw from England's first match. Exclusive: David Beckham's first visit to the US at the age of 13 saw him stay with a family who never forgot the future star and who still treasure his first autographs - and the memories.
From 'Little Davie' to Legend
He may now be an England legend and one of the most well known footballers in the world, but it was right here in Texas that David Beckham started on his road to fame. For one week, Beckham's 'mum' was a kind woman who called him 'Little Davie'. When he was 13, the star stayed in a small house belonging to Christine and Sam Alcala in Dallas. And it was just a stone's throw from where England kick off their world campaign.
Becks signed his very first autographs here when he was staying with the Alcalas on a football exchange trip. Incredibly, they have still got the scarves he signed 37 years ago. Of course, he went on to become one of the most successful players of all time, sitting next to Tom Cruise at a World Cup match at the weekend.
Memories of a Kind Boy
To Christine, who looked after him that week, he was simply 'Little Davie'. She remembers the visit very well. Tragically, her husband Sam and son Mike have passed away in recent years, so the memories of Becks' 1989 visit are even more special now. Christine, 68, said: 'Little Davie was such a lovely boy. He was so polite and a very nice and well-mannered. He shared a room with my son Mike. Davie had the bed and Mike slept on the floor.'
'Originally there were three English lads who were due to stay with us, but our house was small and belonged to my grandmother - it doesn't even exist any more. It was actually knocked down to become a church car park. As part of the football exchange, the parents in Dallas had to offer rooms to the young players travelling from England.'
'When my husband Sam brought the English boys to the house, he could see they were a little nervous and uncomfortable. He told them they didn't have to stay, that he wouldn't be offended. Two of the lads asked to be taken back to the hotel where the coaches were staying, but Davie was happy to stay. He said he would, but only if he could 'use the phone box'. We'd never even heard of a 'phone box' before, but when he explained that he just wanted to call his mum every day - these were the days before mobile phones - of course we agreed.'
'It was a pleasure having him to stay. He and my son Mike just played soccer all the time. They were out at the field at the back of the house all the time.'
Treasures from the Attic
Christine has a framed photo of Beckham with her husband Sam, who passed away in 2016, and her son Mike, who passed away in 2024. She had it made into a large poster and placed on a wall at a school where she once worked, and it was loved by the kids. At the time, Mike recalled: 'There were no white kids in our area and they wondered who our guest was. I said: 'It's Davie from England.''
Beckham was filmed at the United States opening match on Friday night sitting next to Tom Cruise. Christine laughed: 'Tom Cruise was sitting with little Davie, who spent his first trip to the US in our house in a Dallas suburb.'
Christine, a grandmother of 12, works in a school district as a counsellor helping disadvantaged children. As we chatted at a Mexican restaurant, she brought out three football scarves that Beckham had left - as gifts - behind. One was a Liverpool scarf, another a West Ham United scarf. But the third was a Manchester United scarf. Christine said: 'When we found them in the attic, we noticed he had signed one of them - the Man United one. When we were reunited with him again when he was playing for LA Galaxy, he signed the scarf again. It's very special to our family.'
'We are all very proud of our very small part in his success. When we met up in 2008, he had very fond memories of his stay, and he was particularly close to my late husband Sam, who used to take him to McDonalds for breakfast.' Her daughter-in-law Gabriela Torres, 36, said: 'I can't believe how brave Beckham was all those years ago - travelling abroad when he was so young. No mobile phones then, no social media. No Facebook or Instagram. It was certainly a different time.'
