Beckham set for debut

The 19-year-old who arrived for Paul Mariner’s inspection was, as befitting his age, green as a shamrock.

But youth and inexperience rarely mask the quality that a teenage David Beckham brought in 1994 to Preston North End.

Otherworldly talent.

‘‘Natural. Natural,’’ Mariner, the New England Revolution assistant coach, recalled of the youngster’s skills. ‘‘Obviously in training, you’re working on things all the time and you’re going to get better. But he had a lot of natural talent.’’

Mariner was an assistant at Preston when Beckham landed via loan from Manchester United that season. And while Mariner recognized the singularity of the precocious and precious footballer, he never dreamed the soft-spoken Beckham would explode into Becks, the bold-faced global phenomenon who is arguably the most recognized athlete in the world today.

‘‘I don’t think anybody could,’’ said Mariner. ‘‘With the way his life developed, from his marriage, being the captain of Manchester United, being the captain of England — all these things are high-profile events.’’

On Sunday, Mariner and the Revolution will square off against Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy at Gillette Stadium. Beckham, however, is not just another soccer star. He’s an athlete whose career exploded in a perfect storm of athletic achievement and celebrity appeal, thrusting him onto an Everest-high peak known only to the Tigers and Michaels, the few who have transformed from boys into brands.

‘‘We always try to find the best athletes who are good at what they do on their field and are good ambassadors for the brand,’’ said Evan Weiner, spokesman for Adidas, which is a primary sponsor of Beckham and MLS. ‘‘But Beckham has become one of the most notable global athletes of our time.’’

This story will appear in Friday's Boston Globe. The Associated Press contributed to this story.