Biography of David Beckham
David Beckham is one of the most famous English football players, who played in midfield for famous clubs - Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy. Record holder for the number of matches played in the England national team, whose colors he defended. The highest paid athlete in the world in 2011. In addition to football, Beckham is known as a manufacturer of his own line of perfumes and clothing, a loving husband and father of many children.
Pictured: David Beckham
Childhood and adolescence: Leytonstone - Trafford
David was born in 1975 in Leytonstone, the son of Edward Alan Beckham and Sandra Georgina West. My father worked as a kitchen installer, my mother as a hair stylist. David is the middle child and has an older sister, Lynn, and a younger sister, Joanna.
David Beckham with his mother and sisters
As soon as the baby began to walk, dad, a passionate fan of Manchester United Football Club, began to involve his son in sports. It was under the influence of his dad that from the age of three, David began kicking the ball and practicing football techniques in the park near his home.
David Beckham with his father
In 1982, when Beckham Jr. was 7 years old, his parents enrolled him in the Bobby Charlton football school in Manchester. Every week they traveled more than three hundred kilometers to visit their son. Much later, David recalled how, when asked by teachers at school what profession he would choose in the future, he confidently answered: “I’ll become a football player.” His words were not taken seriously at the time, but this was indeed the only dream Beckham wanted to fulfill.
David Beckham as a child
In 1988, David won the Bobby Charlton Children's Football Competition. Then he was named the best young footballer in England, receiving not only the cup, but also the sports uniform of his beloved team. The talented teenager attracted the attention of the management of the Manchester United club, and he, along with several other players, was invited to the main team and signed a contract.
David Beckham's childhood and early career
David Beckham was born in 1975 in Leytonstone, London.
The future footballer's father is kitchen installer Edward Beckham, and his mother is hairdresser Sandra West. On his mother's side, Beckham's grandfather was Jewish; The footballer defines his nationality as “half Jewish.” Since childhood, David was fond of football, playing at Ridgeway Park in Chingford. An important factor in Beckham’s passion for football was the fact that his parents were avid Manchester United fans and often went to the team’s home matches at Old Trafford. David entered the Manchester football school and soon began playing for the Tottenham youth team. At the age of 14, Beckham signed his first contract with Manchester United.
Manchester United
Despite his success in training, Beckham came out only after six months of training, mostly sitting on the bench. After a game with Brighton in the early 90s, in which the footballer came on as a substitute, he again found himself in the reserves. This is how the 1993-1994 season went for David: without actually appearing on the field, Beckham and the team won the English Championship and made his debut in European competition.
David Beckham at Manchester United. 1992
His personal debut took place in the last match of the group stage of the Champions League. Manchester United won against the Turkish Galatasaray with a crushing score of 4:0. David was one of four players who scored goals.
In 1995, Beckham made his debut in the English Premier League and strengthened his position as the best player in the first team of Manchester United. With this team he became a six-time Premier League champion, won the FA Cup and Intercontinental Cup twice and won the UEFA Champions League. Career growth was cemented by invitations to play for the England team at the World Cup.
Beckham's Premier League debut
Beckham's first appearance on the field as a national team player was the game with Moldova in 1997. After his debut game, David took his place in the team's starting lineup instead of Kanchelskis, who left MU in favor of Everton.
David Beckham in his youth
Shortly before Beckham left MU, changes occurred in his family: after thirty-three years of marriage, his parents divorced. David's father left his mother in 2002. Both daughters and son blamed Ted for the breakup, taking the side of their abandoned mother. David Beckham's 85 goals for Manchester United For some time, the football player moved away from his dad, who, in fact, was his first coach and friend. The father learned that his son had left his favorite team not from him himself, but from his agent, and this became a great shock for Tad. But when David didn't invite him to sign a new contract, his father said:
Start of a football career
David naturally began his path to football glory in the youth team of Manchester United, where the 11-year-old boy was invited by the club's recruiters, who watched him play as part of children's amateur teams.
Officially, David Beckham's football career began in 1993, when he signed a contract and joined the main team of Manchester. A year earlier, the Manchester United junior team, largely thanks to the phenomenal play of this talented football player, was able to become the owner of an honorary trophy - the FA Cup. In fact, Manchester United is David Beckham’s “own” club. Both of his parents were Manchester United fans; in 1986, before a Manchester United match in the Premier League, David entered the field dressed as a mascot - the mascot of his favorite club.
Five years later, the whole of England learned about Beckham, when, as part of the national team, he first led the British team out of the group, scoring the decisive goal against Colombia, and then, in the 1/8 finals match, he buried the hopes of the fans, earning an expulsion for rough play, and leaving his team is in the minority against the Argentine players.
Transfer to Real Madrid
In 2003, Beckham moved to Real on terms of thirty-five million euros. Having acquired a talented football player, club president Florentino Perez decided to create a legendary team in Spain. David adapted easily and in the same year, in a game with Mallorca at the Spanish Super Cup, he scored a goal against the enemy.
In 2003, Beckham moved to Real Madrid
In the National Championship, the footballer again made his debut, impressing the fans with a beautiful goal in the third minute of the first match. But the season was not successful for the team as a whole. Real ended up only in fourth place, lost the final of the Copa del Rey, and did not make it out of the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The Monaco team went ahead.
After several months of Beckham's work in the team, the club was overtaken by a deep crisis: resignations of coaches began, and by the first quarter of the 2004-2005 season, Real barely rose to eighth position in the tournament. However, the team managed to overcome the crisis and by the Christmas holidays rose to second position. The Spanish Cup was unsuccessful for Real at that time - in the 1/8, the Galacticos lost to Valladolid, and in the Champions League at the same stage they lost to Juventus.
David Beckham: goals for Real Madrid When new coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro came to the team in 2005, it seemed that Real was finally playing at full strength, showing team play. But the desired results did not materialize, although Beckham was recognized as the club's best player in the 2005-2006 season.
David Beckham in 2005
In 2006, the players failed to make it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, conceding only one own goal from Arsenal. The end of the unsuccessful season also marked the end of Florentino Perez's contract. Instead, another president came to the club, Ramon Calderon, bringing with him a new coach, Fabio Capello.
David's not entirely successful performance in the new season led to conflicts and tense relations between him and Capello. Fabio began to keep Beckham on the bench, hinting that his contract would expire in the summer of 2007. David did not wait until he was finally “asked” and signed a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy club.
David Beckham and Fabio Capello
In the conflict with Fabio, the leading players of the team sided with Beckham, demanding in the form of an ultimatum that he be returned to the main team. Real fans mercilessly criticized the new coach for the defensive style instilled in the team, also playing their role - Capello returned the player to the base and seemed to step away from management, shifting responsibility for the season onto Beckham’s shoulders.
Beckham left the Spanish club in 2007
On February 10, 2007, the football player scored a goal against the opponent in the first match with Sociedad. And although the team again did not submit to the Champions League in the 1/8, where they were beaten by Bayern, the Galacticos showed a selfless performance in the match with Mallorca, beating Barcelona in additional indicators and standing on the victorious “golden” step of the podium .
Footballer's career
In a home match with the Turkish football club Galatasaray, Beckham scores his first goal, which causes a storm of delight among both world football legend Eric Cantona and Manchester fans, who have already lost hope of continuing the game. Finding himself on the team of his dreams, Beckham only increased its fame. He showed himself to be an excellent midfielder; his signature shot is a free-kick with a mandatory twist, which leaves all goalkeepers in a state of complete confusion. It’s not for nothing that the teams that play against Manchester United try to do everything just to avoid getting a free kick from the opponent.
Although Beckham puts team play above all else, therefore, when his disposition requires it, he is ready to deprive himself of a spectacular goal. “I, like any other football player, love to score goals. But assists give me no less pleasure. In the end, what difference does it make who scores the goal? The main thing for me is the team’s victory. When we win, I'm really happy." This is a real sports approach. There were difficult moments in the footballer’s career.
The clouds gathered at the 1998 World Championships. Beckham, as always, scores a mind-blowing goal from a free kick for the Colombian national team, but in the match with Argentina everything went wrong. A football player from the opposing team provoked Beckham into a fight, the football player’s nerves could not stand it, and he hit the player, for which the referee removes Beckham from the field, and the English team loses its hope of winning. At home, Beckham did not approve of this act, condemning the football player in every possible way.
Beckham kept his head down and trained hard. Soon he became captain of the English team, and, as you know, winners are not judged. In the 2002/2003 season. plays for Manchester United for the last time due to a conflict with the coach. An enraged Ferguson allowed himself to throw a football boot at Beckham, thus expressing dissatisfaction with his performance. Then it turned out that, secret from David, negotiations were underway on his transfer to Barcelona. It ended with David being bought by Real Madrid.
Beckham only benefited from this, becoming the winner of the Spanish Super Cup in 2003. In January 2007, Beckham signed a five-year contract with MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy. He also played for Milan. In the match against Chievo he suffered an Achilles injury, due to which he had to miss the 2010 World Cup. In 2012, he was also not included in the team that was supposed to compete at the European Championship. Beckham plans to end his football career at the 2014 World Cup, having scored the decisive goal for his national team. By the way, David Beckham's height is 183 cm.
Los Angeles Galaxy
Beckham's move to the US soccer team in 2007 was accompanied by an unprecedented advertising campaign that contributed to an unprecedented increase in interest in the game in general. In July, the midfielder was officially introduced to an unprecedented number of reporters and spectators. In the first game against London's Chelsea, the fans' eyes were glued to the substitutes' bench, where Beckham was sitting. The match was attended by many famous actors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise and Alicia Silverstone. Only in the 79th minute was David released onto the field, where he was almost immediately injured, causing him to miss the next four games.
In 2007, Beckham joined the Los Angeles Galaxy
He returned to the field only in early August 2007 for the Los Angeles Galaxy - DCUnited match in Washington, which was attended by almost fifty thousand fans. In the next match with the same team, David acted not only as a player, but also as a captain. Then Beckham scored his first goal as part of the American team, showed a beautiful tactical game and received his first yellow card. At the next August game, Beckham was injured again and left the field for a month and a half. Beckham's best goals for the Los Angeles Galaxy When the player returned to training, the situation was critical, and in the first half of the season, the Los Angeles Galaxy found themselves in eleventh place in the tournament. The 2008 season, despite the fact that David participated in all matches, showing a beautiful game and scoring his famous goal against the enemy from his own half of the field, ended for the Galaxy in thirteenth place in the overall standings. At the beginning of 2009, Beckham was loaned to the professional club Associazione Calcio Milan, where he showed very impressive results. The club even decided to buy the player, but the Los Angeles Galaxy management refused. On loan, David once again played for the Italians, but Galaxy fans started a scandal, complaining that Beckham was playing “half-heartedly” for their favorite team.
In 2021, a monument to David Beckham was erected in Los Angeles
The midfielder returned to his “native” club, spent two more seasons, which were finally marked by remarkable success: the team entered the Champions League and reached the playoffs. At the end of 2012, Beckham played for the last time with the Galaxy.
After resting for a couple of months, the footballer signed a 5-month contract with the French Paris Saint-Germain. The contract value was 4 million euros. Beckham donated the entire amount to charity. He just wanted to play a little more football at the highest level.
David Beckham in Paris Saint-Germain uniform
Beckham became the first English athlete to win football championships in four countries - England, Spain, America and France. In 2013, he topped the list of the world's fifty richest footballers with a net worth of $175 million, surpassing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In the spring of the same year, the world celebrity announced that she was ending her football career.
"Los Angeles Galaxy"
The acquisition of the legendary European midfielder by the American team provoked an unprecedented increase in interest in football among fans. In his debut match for the new team, which attracted thousands of fans, David sat on the bench for up to 78 minutes, and soon after entering the field he received an injury, due to which he was forced to go to the hospital for four matches.
By August 9, the footballer had recovered and again took the field for his new team in the match against DC United. This match attracted a record number of fans in Washington - 46.5 thousand. A week later, Beckham entered the field for the first time not only in the Galaxy starting lineup, but also as team captain. In the next match, Beckham was injured again and left the team for another six weeks. After returning, the position in the standings could no longer be saved: the team finished the first half of the season in 11th place.
David Beckham with his wife Victoria Adams
The next season, despite the fact that Beckham was no longer injured, turned out to be even more disastrous for the team: the Galaxy miraculously managed to cling to 13th place in the overall table. In January 2009, the midfielder moved to the Italian Milan on loan. An impressive performance in Milan led to the team repeatedly entering into negotiations with the Los Angeles Galaxy to sign Beckham, but all of these negotiations ended in failure. The maximum concessions that the Italians managed to achieve was the extension of David's lease until July.
Beckham subsequently moved to Milan once again on loan after a scandal with LA fans who were disappointed that Beckham was “not giving his all” at games for the American club. After returning to Los Angeles, David played his two most successful seasons on the American continent, leading the team to the American Champions League and reaching the playoff stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apcYDzQ852g
The footballer played his last game for the Galaxy on December 1, 2012.
Personal life of David Beckham
In 1996, while with the England team in Tbilisi, David saw the Spice Girls, popular at that time, perform on TV for the first time.
He was struck by the fragility and grace of one of the girls, but then he did not yet know that he was seeing his future wife. Beckham remembers well the day when he and Victoria Adams met. This happened in 1998, when a charity match was held at Old Trafford. After him, the same girl Beckham saw on TV almost two years ago entered the Manchester United dressing room.
David Beckham and Victoria in their youth
The football player was confused, but Victoria, noticing his embarrassment, began to behave more freely - she chatted cheerfully incessantly, offering herself as the designer of a new uniform for the players. Then the first one extended her hand to get to know each other and offered to have dinner together, putting a ticket in Beckham’s hand, on the back of which her phone number was written down. As David recalled, upon arriving home, he copied Victoria’s number onto six more pieces of paper so as not to lose it, and that same ticket later became his talisman. Beckham began attending team matches and soon became one of the most devoted fans.
David and Victoria Beckham: then and now
David sent his beloved huge armfuls of roses every morning and spent every free moment with her. Their conversations with each other on the phone even became the subject of good-natured banter among the players, since Beckham turned off the phone only before entering the field. After many years of marriage, Victoria and David still remember their first kiss in the restaurant parking lot.
Their engagement took place just a year after they met - in 1999. The lovers decided to get married even though David's parents did not accept Victoria at first, considering her too capricious and eccentric. The Adamses, on the contrary, despite the difference in social status, were glad to have their daughter’s fiancé.
Wedding of David Beckham and Victoria Adams
Beckham bought two rings for his engagement. Victoria was destined for gold, with a three-carat diamond, and for him, with a scattering of diamond chips. He also wanted a good souvenir to remember this day.
The luxurious wedding ceremony, worth eight hundred thousand dollars, was private and took place in an Irish castle. Ill-wishers immediately started talking about excessive waste, but the newlyweds could afford it by concluding an agreement with one of the publications for one and a half million dollars for the exclusive right to cover their celebration.
Brooklyn, David Beckham's eldest son
Their first child, Brooklyn Joseph Beckham, was born before their wedding, in March 1999. Vicki and David’s happiness knew no bounds, because doctors predicted infertility for the girl, which she honestly admitted to her beloved as soon as they started dating. When David found out that his beloved was carrying his child, he considered it a “blessing from heaven.” After the birth of the baby, he practically did not let him out of his hands, telling his wife that their children would not have nannies and governesses, no matter how many of them were born. David Beckham about competition with his son In 2002, their second son Romeo James was born. And although the doctors gave the boy a disappointing diagnosis of epilepsy, he is dearly loved by his family and has always been surrounded by care.
David with his second son, Romeo Beckham
Before the birth of their third child, a serious crisis occurred in the Beckham family. Then the football player went to Spain under a contract, where he started an affair with his assistant Rebecca Luz. The paparazzi were not asleep, so their photos together appeared in the tabloids with unambiguous descriptions. Luz did not hesitate to give interviews and talk about Beckham’s imminent divorce and their wedding.
David Beckham and Rebecca Loos
Every day David called his wife, trying to explain himself, but Victoria did not answer the phone. One day she arrived in Madrid with her two sons. The conversation was not easy, but she tried to forgive the betrayal. Over time, relations began to improve, which was confirmed by the birth of their third son, Cruz David.
David Beckham with his sons (2014)
It would seem that nothing else could darken their happiness, but one evening a call came from Scotland Yard in the house. Beckham was asked to come to the station, where they were informed of the impending kidnapping of his wife and children for ransom. The head of the family was not very surprised - the fame and happiness of their family had long haunted envious people; David more than once received letters with threats and insults, especially after not entirely successful football matches. However, despite this, the moment Beckham learned of a possible crime, he decided to defend himself.
Soon their house became like an impregnable fortress, equipped with the most modern alarm systems and guarded along the perimeter by police officers. Subsequently, no attack on the Beckhams occurred, but the very possibility made them pay great attention to their own safety. At the same time, Beckham invited his wife to go to the altar again to confirm his love for her and the children. After the new wedding ceremony, Victoria and David got tattoos with the inscription: “All over again” and the date of their reunion.
David Beckham with his wife, 2021
In 2011, the Beckham family welcomed a fourth child. The long-awaited girl was named Harper Seven, and David began to be referred to in the media as “crazy dad.” According to David, having become a father of many children, he felt how gentle and patient he could be, learned to sew dresses for his baby dolls, and allowed her to literally sit on his head.
David Beckham with daughter Harper
When Harper one day told him that “Daddy is fat,” he decided to consult his wife about whether it was time for him to lose weight. Victoria just laughed, saying that if he were fat, he would not have been offered to advertise a youth brand of underwear.
Personal life
Nothing is known about David's romantic relationships in his youth. But the football player managed to become famous as an ideal family man. The athlete’s personal life has been associated with the name of Victoria Beckham for many years. David was already a famous player and an eligible bachelor when his love story with Victoria Adams, the star of the Spice Girls group, began. In 1999, the lovers officially registered their marriage. The union of two popular personalities led to the couple becoming one of the most famous British unions. Victoria gave birth to four children to David: sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz Beckham, as well as the long-awaited daughter Harper Beckham.
David Beckham got a tattoo of his children's names. Also on the athlete’s shoulder is a portrait of his wife, and on his left hand are the word Love and a swallow. In total, David's body is decorated with 17 tattoos. Because of this, Beckham often played in long sleeves during his football career.
In 2006, it became known that the football player cheated on his wife with his assistant Rebecca Luz, who accompanied him on a trip to Spain. The Briton publicly tried to refute these rumors, but in vain. The mistress realized that she had become unnecessary and gave a series of candid interviews for Sky TV for a decent remuneration.
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David Beckham and Victoria Beckham
In 2010, a scandal broke out again around the football player’s personal life. Prostitute Irma Nichi gave a scandalous interview, saying that in 2007 Beckham met with her and other women of the same profession more than once. The athlete sued Irma, accusing him of libel. The woman, in turn, filed a counterclaim, demanding compensation for moral damages due to the accusation of lying.
In parallel with this, rumors began to appear about the football player’s new novels. In the summer of 2012, the tabloids again accused David of cheating. Journalists attributed the footballer to an affair with opera singer Katherine Jenkins. Victoria calmly responded to these rumors. The Beckham family did not comment on the suspicions.
These rumors were not the first and not the last. In 2021, one photo was enough for journalists to accuse David of new treason. In this photo, a man leaves a coffee shop and looks thoughtfully at a blonde girl who happens to be nearby.
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David Beckham and his daughter Harper
The media constantly circulated rumors about problems in the star family and that the spouses were allegedly on the verge of divorce. Journalists refer to the fact that today Victoria and David live between London and Los Angeles and do not spend time with each other, and their feelings have cooled. In addition, the couple put up for sale a shared villa in Provence, which, moreover, was sold at a 70% discount. The couple refutes rumors of family discord by regularly posting photos from joint vacations and romantic dates on their own Instagram accounts.
Meanwhile, events from the couple’s personal lives are gradually replacing news about their children. So, in 2021, information appeared that the legendary football player may become a grandfather. The reason for such rumors was the posted photo of his son Romeo hugging a girl whose vigilant followers discovered a rounded belly.
Few people know that David Beckham suffers from a rare mental illness - obsessive-compulsive disorder, the symptoms of which include a pathological desire to arrange things in a symmetrical order. David constantly makes sure that items are placed in a straight line and in even numbers. Beckham just hates it when things are out of place. This brings the footballer almost physical pain.
He also has another disease - asthma, which did not prevent him from building a brilliant career in sports. Limitations associated with illnesses influenced David's character, making him a dutiful and pedantic person. In addition, a non-brutal hobby has appeared in the footballer’s life, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous system - floristry.
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David Beckham tattoo
The athlete often changes his hairstyle: half-box, mohawk, long hair, undercut. And one day he cut his hair to zero, which led fans to believe that the football player was going bald. David also does not hide his passion for glasses. His personal collection is dominated by classic silhouettes: aviators, bowliners, wayfarers.
The Beckhams are members of the royal family; they are frequent guests at special events at Windsor Palace. In 2011, the football player received a personal invitation to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. And in 2018, together with Victoria, he attended the wedding ceremony of American actress Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
In September 2021, foreign media reported that David Beckham and his wife were infected with coronavirus infection. The couple attended a party in Los Angeles to celebrate the launch of the new Miami CF football club and several other social events as part of the football player's advertising contract. Upon arrival in London, David felt very weak, and Victoria had a fever and a sore throat. The family decided to isolate themselves.
Now the health of the Beckhams is normal. The couple even managed to visit Greece and Italy, live for six months in the USA and return back to the UK.
Tattoos and faith
David Beckham is a big fan of meaningful tattoos. On his body there are more than forty images dedicated to religion, his wife and children. The football player always wore long-sleeved shirts on the field so as not to create discomfort for other players.
David Beckham Tattoos
One of the Hebrew tattoos symbolized Beckham's Jewish heritage, as he considers himself half-Jewish, as he said in an interview: After some time, the inscription on his hand turned into Kabbalah. David's body bears the names of all his children and a portrait of his wife, as well as a reproduction of Matthew Bruce's "Man of Suffering" icon of Jesus Christ and a winged cross at neck level.
David Beckham now
In addition to participating in advertising and other projects, Beckham devotes a lot of time to the MLS football team he created in Miami. Inter Miami CF was expected to start playing in 2021, but due to the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, it was postponed. In addition, David had to sue the Italian club Inter, which claimed violation of the trademark. However, the main thing in the life of the former midfielder was and remains family. A happy father, as before, devotes time to all his grown-up children, delving into their problems and rejoicing at their successes. In May 2021, the legend of world football celebrated his forty-fifth birthday, accepting congratulations from numerous friends and family, but first of all, from his beloved wife, who posted a touching video on her Instagram. The video contains many moments that characterize Beckham as a wonderful dad and a wonderful husband.
David Beckham now
In 2021, Beckham also starred in several unusual videos. One of them was a parody of Miami Vice, in which he appeared alongside actor James Corden. The network was amused by Beckham in a wig and a retro suit. A few months later, David appeared in a video about fighting malaria. True, he did not look as usual, but as a 75-year-old man - he played himself at a time when humanity had already managed to cope with the disease. For 2021, Beckham planned to open a new stadium in Miami, for which he and his colleagues bought a plot of land in the city's Overtown district.
End of football career
After the completion of the contract in the United States in January 2013, the footballer's American fans were in the dark for a long time where David Beckham was currently playing. Soon David Beckham moved to PSG. On the eve of finishing his career in big football with Paris Saint-Germain, he becomes the champion of France. To date, he is the only football player who managed to become the champion of England, Spain, France and the United States with Canada. In May 2013, the athlete announced his retirement from his football career.
David Beckham now leads the life of an accomplished man. He is busy with several business projects, filming commercials and films as a comeo. Recently there were reports that the athlete is working on creating a professional football club in Miami, for the needs of which it is planned to build a new stadium.
In a luxurious house in the largest city of Florida - Miami, where David Beckham lives, it is hardly quiet - his wife Victoria, the ex-soloist of the Spice Girls, gave the titled footballer four children - three sons and a long-awaited daughter. Recently, the athlete admitted that he suffers from a rare mental illness - obsessive-compulsive disorder, one of the manifestations of which is a tendency towards perfectionism - an obsessive desire to arrange household objects in a strict order, maintaining symmetry. He hates it when things lie chaotically and arranges them in a straight line in even numbers.
