David Beckham's heartbreaking comment as he accepts honour amid family feud
Emotional former England football captain David Beckham said it was a "humbling honour" after being knighted in the King's Birthday Honours.
Sir David, who was made an OBE in 2003 and has been in the running for a knighthood for more than a decade, said in a statement to the Mirror: "Growing up in East London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour. To have played for and captained my country was the greatest privilege of my career and literally a boyhood dream come true. Off the pitch I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Britain around the world and work with incredible organisations that are supporting communities in need and inspiring the next generation.
"I'm so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and I'm grateful to be recognised for work that gives me so much fulfilment. It will take a little while for the news to sink in but I'm immensely proud and it's such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.'
The mention of his family is a particularly poignant one at the moment. Beckham's son Brooklyn has not been speaking to him or wife Victoria for some months. Messages of congratulations will follow from family and friends for Beckham, but it remains to be seen if there will be one from the son he calls 'Buster'.
Beckham had been on the verge of receiving a knighthood in the 2014 New Year's Honours list but HM Revenue and Customs placed a red flag on his nomination due to his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme, according to previous reports.
In 2021 it was reported that his finances had been cleared and he was eligible for a knighthood. The day before Sir David was given the honour, he was seen chatting with the King at a St James's Palace ceremony for the monarch's foundation, of which the retired footballer is an ambassador.
He has always be a huge supporter of the royal family and there was no finer example of this as when in September 2022 he queued for 12 hours to see Elizabeth II lying in state and described it as 'special to be here'.
He has been made a knight for his services to sport and to charity, having partnered with Unicef and campaigned with Malaria No More, a charity working to eradicate the disease. Sir David, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, was presented with an OBE by the Queen in 2003 for his services to football.
In 2022 he recalled: "To receive my OBE, I took my grandparents with me - who were the ones that really brought me up to be a huge royalist and a fan of the Royal Family - and obviously I had my wife there as well.
"To step up, to get my honour - but then also Her Majesty, to ask questions, to talk. I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life, to be around Her Majesty.
"Because we can all see with the love that has been shown how special she is and how special she was and the legacy that she leaves behind. It's a sad day, but it's a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she's left.
"Every time that we stood there when we wore those Three Lion shirts and I had my armband and we sang God Save The Queen, that was something that meant so much to us.
"Every time that we did it, it was something special.' Beckham will not have much time to celebrate this weekend as sources close to the star confirmed he would be watching his team Inter Miami play the opening game of the Club World Cup. But at some point he will presumably allow himself a moment to think how far he has come.
Born in Leytonstone, east London, Beckham had a trial at local team Leyton Orient and also attended Tottenham's school of excellence - but his father Ted, a staunch Manchester United fan, remained determined he would go on to play at Old Trafford.
After coming through the club's academy as part of the famed 'Class of 92', Beckham announced himself to the Premier League on the opening day of the 1996-97 season with a memorable goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon.
While there were plenty of doubters as to what he could go on to achieve, Beckham answered them and more - claiming six Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Sir Alex Ferguson's all-conquering side as well as a dramatic 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp.
International success, however, proved elusive for Beckham as England's so-called 'golden generation' repeatedly came up short. In a Netflix documentary series, released during October 2023, Beckham revealed he still cannot forgive himself for the abuse his family suffered amid the fallout from his red card at the 1998 World Cup for kicking the back of Diego Simeone's leg during the last-16 clash against Argentina in Saint-Etienne - which left him a "mess".
By the time Beckham retired at 38 he was already thinking about life after football dand he became a co-owner of the Inter Miami franchise - with the club entering Major League Soccer for the 2020 campaign and now boasting Lionel Messi on the teamsheet.
A multi-million-pound lifetime deal with Adidas, signed in 2003, had secured his financial future away from the game. Other lucrative, high-profile endorsements down the years have ranged from fashion designers Calvin Klein, Armani and Hugo Boss to tech giants Samsung, Haig Club whisky and Stella Artois as well as kitchen appliance manufacturer Ninja. Beckham, who was made an OBE for services to football in 2003, has long been involved with children's charity UNICEF, and is a co-owner of film production company Studio 99.
In 2024, Beckham was appointed Ambassador for The King's Foundation which works globally to create sustainable communities through placemaking projects and also transform lives through practical education programmes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Three-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka drives fans wild as she poses topless ahead of US Open
She is preparing to chase a rare honour in tennis later this month lets Saba-look Three-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka drives fans wild as she poses topless ahead of US Open Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ARYNA SABALENKA stunned fans as she posed topless in a new post to her Instagram. In the post, Sabalenka can be seen lounging in swimwear by the pool, winking at the camera and showing off her tan lines in the risque topless image. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Aryna Sabalenka shocked fans with a topless photo in her latest Instagram post Credit: INSTAGRAM @arynasabalenka 6 It was just one in a series of revealing images the tennis star posted to her Instagram Credit: INSTAGRAM @arynasabalenka 6 The 27-year-old is in Miami preparing to compete in the US Open later this month Credit: INSTAGRAM @arynasabalenka The tennis star posted the pictures to her 3.3million followers captioned "A day spent in the sun." The post is just the latest in a string of revealing images shared to her account as she enjoys a rest between Grand Slam tournaments. The world No.1 women's tennis player is now sunning it up in Miami as the US Open approaches. Sabalenka will hope to add to her existing tally of three Grand Slam victories with a victory in New York later this month. The 27-year-old narrowly missed out on a shot at making it four at last month's Wimbledon tournament. She battled past British tennis hero Emma Raducanu in the third round, and looked good value to go all the way. 6 The post continues the trend of risque images posted by the Belarusian Credit: INSTAGRAM @arynasabalenka 6 Sabalenka released another set of swimwear snaps in late July flaunting her luxurious holiday travels Credit: INSTAGRAM @arynasabalenka 6 Sabalenka is recovering after a Wimbledon tournament that saw her knock out Emma Raducanu before losing in the semi-finals to Amanda Anisimova Credit: Getty Her shock semi-final exit to Amanda Anisimova was the third time she had made it to the semis at the tournament, losing on all three occasions. Anisimova would be absolutely crushed in the final by Sabalenka's rival at the summit of the WTA rankings, Polish star Iga Świątek. Sabalenka has better form at the US Open, and is set to try and defend her title when the competition kicks off on August 24th. The Belarusian narrowly saw off American Jessica Pegula to win last year's edition of the tournament. Angry Aryna Sabalenka opens up on 'hate relationship' with Wimbledon and battling demons telling her to smash racquets If her demeanour on social media is anything to go by, Sabalenka is feeling relaxed ahead of her return to the court.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Emma Raducanu adds Rafael Nadal's former coach Francis Roig to team full-time
The 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows has worked with British coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March and enjoyed a positive run of results. However, Petchey's TV commitments meant he was always unable to become Raducanu's full-time coach and after a trial with Roig following Wimbledon, the 22-year-old will begin work with him in Cincinnati this week after he agreed a contract until the end of 2025. Raducanu has struggled to settle with a coach in recent years until her part-time work with Petchey started to pay dividends earlier this season. A post shared by @emmaraducanu A WTA 1000 quarter-final showing at the Miami Open in March was followed by a round-of-16 run at the Italian Open before she made the last eight in the first women's tournament at Queen's Club. Aryna Sabalenka proved too strong for Raducanu in round three at Wimbledon, but this was backed up by a semi-final at the Citi Open as the British number one targets being seeded at the US Open later this month. TV commentator Petchey, who worked with Andy Murray at the start of his career, revealed in July that Raducanu would need to find a full-time coach soon and she has in Roig. Spanish coach Roig worked with Nadal alongside Nadal's uncle Toni for the majority of the 22-time grand slam champion's career and more recently was part of Matteo Berrettini's backroom staff. Raducanu will stay close to Petchey, PA understands, but turns her focus back to rising up the WTA rankings with a strong display at the Cincinnati Open over the next fortnight.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Emma Raducanu adds Rafael Nadal's former coach Francis Roig to team full-time
The 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows has worked with British coach Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March and enjoyed a positive run of results. However, Petchey's TV commitments meant he was always unable to become Raducanu's full-time coach and after a trial with Roig following Wimbledon, the 22-year-old will begin work with him in Cincinnati this week after he agreed a contract until the end of 2025. Raducanu has struggled to settle with a coach in recent years until her part-time work with Petchey started to pay dividends earlier this season. A WTA 1000 quarter-final showing at the Miami Open in March was followed by a round-of-16 run at the Italian Open before she made the last eight in the first women's tournament at Queen's Club. Aryna Sabalenka proved too strong for Raducanu in round three at Wimbledon, but this was backed up by a semi-final at the Citi Open as the British number one targets being seeded at the US Open later this month. TV commentator Petchey, who worked with Andy Murray at the start of his career, revealed in July that Raducanu would need to find a full-time coach soon and she has in Roig. Spanish coach Roig worked with Nadal alongside Nadal's uncle Toni for the majority of the 22-time grand slam champion's career and more recently was part of Matteo Berrettini's backroom staff. Raducanu will stay close to Petchey, PA understands, but turns her focus back to rising up the WTA rankings with a strong display at the Cincinnati Open over the next fortnight.
