David Beckham Admits He Dreaded Facing Terrifying Football Hardman

David Beckham once admitted he was scared of facing one of football's toughest players.

The Beckham name has become an institution in the past two decades, with the midfielder’s Hollywood passes, precision free kicks and good looks having led to enormous recognition on and off the pitch.

The former England international made his name at Manchester United, before joining Real Madrid during the Galacticos era, and seeing out his career at MLS side LA Galaxy.

However, before establishing himself at Old Trafford, Beckham went on a one-month loan at Preston North End in 1995.

There, he came up against Fulham, whose midfield included one of football’s toughest-tackling hardmen, Terry Hurlock.

Upon winning 3-2, with Beckham netting a free-kick the future United icon told reporters: "I remember Terry Hurlock playing in the game. And I stayed away from him all game, for obvious reasons.

"But I scored a free-kick in that game, and that was a different time in my career, and a special time when I look back on it."

Hurlock was a fearsome ball-winning midfielder whose career was marred by a good amount of controversy.

At Celtic, he was shown a straight red card for aiming an off-the-ball elbow into the face of a Rangers player. Two of his team-mates were also sent off on that day in 1991, with manager Graeme Souness having to publicly apologise afterwards.

When signing for Millwall in 1987, Hurlock earned the nickname 'Terry Warlock' from supporters, while he is also a member of Brentford's Hall of Fame, having spent six seasons with the then Third Division outfit between 1980 and 1986.

FourFourTwo named Hurlock as the toughest footballer of the 1990s in 2023 (Getty).

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Hurlock once insisted that Wimbledon hard man Vinnie Jones was 'too smart to come near me on the pitch' while he also admitted he wanted to “strangle” future Chelsea legend Dennis Wise after seeing him every day in training.

Hurlock explaining: "We'd be running past them on the pitch, eyeing them up. Wally [Downes]. Vinnie. Little Dennis. I wanted to strangle him.

"You'd be shouting across, 'Crazy Gang'? We're the real f***ing Crazy Gang. We're Millwall."

FourFourTwo named Hurlock as the toughest footballer of the 1990s in 2023.