It is little surprise then, that not only is he finally succeeding in winning over even the more sceptical supporters of the Los Angeles Galaxy, but that he also now stands on the brink of another milestone.
Having clinched the Western Conference of Major League Soccer with a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes, the Galaxy are in the play-offs and potentially now only four games away from winning the overall MLS title.
Following his past successes with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Beckham could become the first English footballer to win titles in three different countries.
He will also have another crack at being part of a Serie A-winning team next year after it was confirmed that he will return to AC Milan in January on loan for the second half of the Italian league season.
“It’s 100 per cent certain — the only thing that is missing is the signatures but the agreement is complete,” said Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani.
Milan are already seven points adrift of Jose Mourinho’s Inter in Serie A, although they should be involved in the knockout phase of the Champions League following their surprise 3-2 win over Real Madrid last Wednesday.
Beckham’s planned move back to Milan follows England manager Fabio Capello’s insistence that his players must be performing at the highest level to be considered for his squad next summer.
Although he faces considerable competition on the right of midfield from Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips, Beckham’s passing ability and experience means that he still offers a unique option that could be equally useful both in chasing matches and consolidating a lead.
His recent form has also been encouraging, particularly after his return to the Galaxy was met with considerable hostility from sections of the crowd and one particularly ugly exchange with fans.
However, as was the case after the 1998 World Cup, as well as when he was dropped by Capello at Madrid and by Steve McClaren for England, Beckham appears to be turning opinion by performing with quiet efficiency on the pitch.
On Saturday, he received a standing ovation when he was substituted with four minutes of the match remaining.
The Galaxy now go into the first leg of the play-offs against Chivas USA buoyed by a first Western Conference title for seven years. After two hugely disappointing seasons, it is the first really tangible on-field success since his move to America in July 2007.
“It was important we won the game, to be top in our division,” said Beckham. “We’ve played better in games and we’ve passed the ball better, but we won. It’s nice to be on top but we don’t stop here. There is still a lot of work to be done.”
