{{short description|Colombian footballer (born 2003)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{family name hatnote|Castro|Espinosa|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Beckham Castro | image = Beckham David Castro.jpg | fullname = Beckham David Castro Espinosa<ref name=wf>{{WorldFootball.net|beckham-castro}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|9|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia<ref name=wf/> | height = 1.76 m<ref name=wf/> | position = Winger | currentclub = Lugano | clubnumber = 11 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Chiqui Orozco | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Academia de Crespo | youthyears3 = | youthclubs3 = Estudiantil | youthyears4 = | youthclubs4 = Aston Villa de Cali | youthyears5 = 2020–2023 | youthclubs5 = Millonarios | years1 = 2023– | clubs1 = Millonarios | caps1 = 64 | goals1 = 14 | years2 = 2024–2025 | clubs2 = → La Equidad (loan) | caps2 = 26 | goals2 = 3 | club-update = 22 May 2026 | nationalteam-update = | clubs3 = FC Lugano | years3 = 2026 }} '''Beckham David Castro Espinosa''' (born 12 September 2003) is a Colombian footballer who plays as a winger for FC Lugano.
==Early life== Castro was born in Cartagena, and is named after former Manchester United, Real Madrid and England international footballer David Beckham, as his father was a fan of Real Madrid.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://futbolete.com/millonarios/video-beckham-david-castro-contando-la-historia-de-su-nombre-es-por-eso/855822/|title=Video: Beckham David Castro contando la historia de su nombre. ¡Es por eso!|trans-title=Video: Beckham David Castro telling the story of his name. That's why!|first=Guillermo|last=Puerto|date=31 May 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=futbolete.com|language=es}}</ref> Due to his relatively unusual name, his footballing career was the subject of media attention from a young age, and in 2013 Colombian newspaper Q'hubo ran an article on him, despite him only being ten years old at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eluniversal.com.co/deportes/asi-pintaba-beckham-david-castro-espinoza-cuando-tenia-diez-anos-GA8345118|title=Así pintaba Beckham David Castro Espinoza cuando tenía diez años|trans-title=This is how Beckham David Castro Espinoza was painted when he was ten years old|first=Juan Carlos|last=Martínez Castellar|date=24 May 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=eluniversal.com.co|language=es}}</ref>
==Club career== ===Early career=== Castro began his footballing career at Chiqui Orozco, a local footballing school in Cartagena.<ref name=debut>{{cite web|url=https://primertiempo.co/futbol/beckham-david-castro-la-joya-cartagenera-que-debuto-con-millonarios/|title=Beckham David Castro, la joya cartagenera que debutó con Millonarios|trans-title=Beckham David Castro, the jewel from Cartagena who debuted with Millonarios|first=Lucho|last=Anaya|date=22 March 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=primertiempo.co|language=es}}</ref> He later played for Academia de Crespo and Estudiantil de Medellín, also representing Aston Villa de Cali.<ref name=debut/>
===Millonarios=== Having trialled with Brazilian and Portuguese clubs Grêmio and Braga, respectively, Castro signed a professional contract with Categoría Primera A side Millonarios in his native Colombia in December 2020.<ref name=debut/> He finished bronze in the 2022 golden boot race at youth level, and the following year he made his debut on 22 March 2023, coming on as a late substitute for Fernando Uribe in a 2–0 league win over Deportivo Pasto.<ref name=debut/>
Following teammate Óscar Cortés' call up to the Colombia under-20 side for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and an injury to attacking midfielder Daniel Cataño, Castro was given a run of games as a starter in the Millonarios side.<ref name=fl>{{cite web|url=https://futbolete.com/millonarios/beckham-castro-la-sorpresiva-nueva-aparicion-en-millonarios/855794/|title=Beckham Castro, la sorpresiva nueva aparición en Millonarios|trans-title=Beckham Castro, the surprising new appearance in Millionaires|first=Guillermo|last=Puerto|date=31 May 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=futbolete.com|language=es}}</ref> Having been named in the line-up for Millonarios' Categoría Primera A fixture against Independiente Medellín on 20 May 2023, he latched on to a cross from Leonardo Castro late into the first half to score his first goal for the club in the eventual 2–2 draw.<ref name=fl/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://espndeportes.espn.com/futbol/colombia/nota/_/id/12081675/beckham-david-castro-marco-su-primer-gol-con-millonarios-frente-al-medellin|title=Beckham David Castro marcó su primer gol con Millonarios frente al Medellín|trans-title=Beckham David Castro scored his first goal with Millonarios against Medellín|date=20 May 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=espndeportes.espn.com|language=es}}</ref> Three days later he made his Copa Sudamericana bow, starting in a 3–1 win over Uruguayan opposition Peñarol, and getting the assist for Jorge Arias' goal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://primertiempo.co/futbol/pidiendo-via-beckham-castro-se-estreno-en-sudamericana-con-una-asistencia/|title=Pidiendo vía: Beckham Castro se estrenó en Sudamericana con una asistencia|trans-title=Asking for a way: Beckham Castro made his debut in Sudamericana with an assist|first=Lucho|last=Anaya|date=25 May 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=primertiempo.co|language=es}}</ref><ref name=espn>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com.ar/futbol/colombia/nota/_/id/12138685/beckham-castro-figura-millonarios-cantera-cuadrangulares|title=Beckham Castro demuestra la calidad de la cantera de Millonarios: cuatro partidos en línea con goles y asistencias|trans-title=Beckham Castro demonstrates the quality of the Millonarios academy: four games in a row with goals and assists|first=Javier|last=Marín|date=1 June 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=espn.com.ar|language=es}}</ref> He followed this up with an assist in the following game, a 1–0 win against Boyacá Chicó, before scoring his second goal for the club - the only goal in a 1–0 win against América de Cali on 31 May 2023.<ref name=fl/><ref name=espn/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eluniversal.com.co/deportes/el-cartagenero-beckham-castro-le-da-triunfo-a-millonarios-ante-america-FL8379241|title=El cartagenero Beckham Castro le da triunfo a Millonarios ante América|trans-title=Beckham Castro from Cartagena gives Millonarios victory against América|first=Carlos|last=Caballero Villa|date=31 May 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=eluniversal.com.co|language=es}}</ref>
On 3 August 2023, following a short absence from the first team, he returned to action in Millonarios' friendly win over Spanish opposition Real Zaragoza, scoring the first goal in an eventual 2–1 win.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://primertiempo.co/futbol/gol-en-la-romareda-beckham-castro-le-anoto-con-millonarios-al-real-zaragoza/|title=Gol en La Romareda: Beckham Castro le anotó con Millonarios al Real Zaragoza|trans-title=Goal in La Romareda: Beckham Castro scored with Millionaires against Real Zaragoza|first=Lucho|last=Anaya|date=3 August 2023|access-date=6 August 2023|website=primertiempo.co|language=es}}</ref>
==Career statistics==
===Club=== {{updated|6 August 2023.}}<ref>{{Soccerway|backham-david-castro-espinosa/812667}}</ref>
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |Millonarios |2023 |Categoría Primera A |14||2||0||0||3{{efn|name=CS|Appearances in the Copa Sudamericana}}||0||0||0||17||2 |- ! colspan="3" |'''Career total''' !14!!2!!0!!0!!3!!0!!0!!0!!17!!2 |} ;Notes {{notelist}}
==Honours== ;Millonarios * Categoría Primera A: 2023-I * Superliga Colombiana: 2024
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Beckham}} Category:2003 births Category:Footballers from Cartagena, Colombia Category:Living people Category:21st-century Colombian sportsmen Category:Men's association football wingers Category:Colombian men's footballers Category:Millonarios F.C. players Category:La Equidad footballers Category:Categoría Primera A players