Born in Manchester, Beckett was hailed as something of a wonder-kid during his days as a schoolboy player with Manchester Boys and England Boys, collecting two caps for his appearances against Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Needless to say, his signature was coveted by numerous clubs, but the lure of joining United was too tempting to ignore.
He proceeded to collect an FA Youth Cup winners’ medal in 1955 after helping the Reds to defeat West Bromwich Albion 7-1 on aggregate over two legs. A winger or inside-forward, he scored a goal in the second leg at The Hawthorns; his team-mates that day included several United luminaries, including Eddie Colman, Wilf McGuinness, Shay Brennan, Duncan Edwards and Bobby Charlton.