Beckham, David

David Beckham is more than one of England's best soccer player. He is a celebrity, treated as near-royalty, hounded by the press who dwell on his every move. During his career as a member of the Manchester United, and also playing for the England in the World Cup, Beckham has been both villain and hero. Lauded, vilified, bemoaned, worshipped, and ridiculed–few professional players of any sport have undergone the constant barrage of attention on and off the field as Beckham. Handsome, with a quick eye to where the cameras are placed, he has both benefited and suffered from a life lived in the public arena.

Joins Manchester United

David Beckham was born in Leytonstone, London, on May 2, 1975 to Ted, a repair man, and Sandra Beckham. He started dreaming about playing soccer professionally when he was eight years old as he watched the sport on television. Beckham played youth soccer, and when he was eleven he won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills Competition, which judged ball control skills. The win earned Beckham a trip to Barcelona, where he drew the attention of a Manchester United soccer talent scout. His parents insisted that Beckham finish his schooling at Chingford High before he could join a professional team.
At the age of sixteen, Beckham signed on as an apprentice for Manchester United and the team won the Football Association (FA) Youth Cup in 1992. On April 2, 1995, Beckham made his Premier League debut at home in a match against Leeds United. During the following season, 1995-96, he began making an impact on his team from the midfield position. He was slowly growing a reputation for his ability to execute free kicks and score goals, often times in sensational fashion or at critical moments of the game. His performance during the season caught the attention of England's national team manager, who capped Beckham (named him to the national team). He made his national debut on September 1, 1996, against Moldova.
Manchester United won the Premier League championship both in 1996 and 1997. In 1997 Beckham was
voted the Young Player of the Year and finished second in voting for the overall Player of the Year award. Despite failing to retain the Premiere League title in 1998, Beckham was named to England's World Cup squad, and he signed a five-year, $12.5 million contract with Manchester United.

1998 World Cup Fiasco

Beckham's 1998 World Cup experience became a turning point in his career. In the match against Columbia Beckham scored a spectacular game-winning free kick. However, he went from national hero to national villain in a heartbeat when, in the next match against Argentina, he was given a red card (which means expulsion from the game) for kicking Argentina's Diego Simeone just minutes into the second half with the score tied 2-2. Argentina went on to win on penalty kicks, eliminating England in the second round. Simeone had flattened Beckham from behind and, in response, Beckham flung his leg out, grazing Simeone who fell dramatically hard. Simeone's infraction merited a yellow card (a warning), but Beckham, given the first red card of his career, was booted from the match.
In the aftermath of England's loss, Beckham was vilified. The Daily Mirror's headline read "10 Heroic Lions, One Stupid Boy," and the Daily Star's banner read "What an Idiot." Beckham was hung in effigy outside a London pub, and a Baptist church message board read "God Forgives Even David Beckham." He received death threats and was continually booed the following season each time he touched the ball. Beckham was not immune to the constant criticism, and publicly apologized, saying, according to Sports Illustrated, "I will always regret my actions. I want every fan to know how deeply sorry I am."

Celebrity Status

Beckham, known as Beck by his fans, was quickly becoming more than a soccer player; he was a national celebrity. He is also the pretty boy, the national and international heart throb, and as much was written about his hairstyle and his choice of clothes as his soccer abilities. When Beckham began dating Victoria Adams, also known as Posh Spice from the pop group Spice Girls, in 1997, he and Adams became daily fodder for the tabloid press. Much of the media's attention was initially encouraged by the couple, who tossed tidbits of personal information to the tabloids and could be seen out and about wearing matching designer outfits. In 1998 the couple announced that Adams was pregnant, which once again added fuel to the media fire. Tabloid reporting intermixed true stories with false to further hype the couple. Much like Princess Diana before them, Beckham and Adams are reviled in the press as much as they are praised. Yet the more the press deems them uninteresting, tac! ky, and glamour hounds, the more obsessed England becomes in following their every move.
The media was in a frenzy in July 1999 when Beckham and Adams married in Luttrellstown Castle, eight miles west of Dublin. The daylong gala reportedly cost $800,000. Adams wore a diamond-encrusted crown, and Beckham wore an ivory suit. After the nuptials, the newlyweds sat in gilded, red-velvet thrones, with their young son Brooklyn between them, watching their guests mingle under live potted apple trees and fluttering doves. The night, which the National Post noted would be long remembered "for its monumental tackiness," included an 18-piece orchestra playing old Spice Girl tunes, footmen, fireworks, and a cake topped with an edible, nearly nude figure of Beckham and Adams embracing. Beckham and Adams appeared at the end of the affair in matching purple outfits. The couple sold the pictures of their wedding to OK! magazine for $2.2 million.

On-field Redemption

Beckham started the 1998-99 soccer season on a mission to redeem himself for his grave error at the World Cup. Despite playing under constant pressure and ongoing booing from the crowd, Beckham had an excellent year and lead Manchester United to an unprecedented triple crown, winning the Premier League championship, the FA Cup, and the European Cup. Beckham had another good year during the 1999-2000 season, winning his fourth Premier League championship. He was runner-up in the voting for both best player in Europe and the best player in the world, and was second in voting for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (which was won by Lennox Lewis ). Although he scored his fiftieth goal during the season, more press was given to his new mohawk haircut.
Beckham's play on the soccer field went a long way to redeem his image after the World Cup fiasco. Despite a slump early in 2001 that had critics grumbling about his true value, Beckham remained focused and returned to form. By the end of the 2000-01 season, having been named the team's captain, he was receiving high praise for his new-found leadership, maturity, and wisdom. Often knocked as a footballer with exceptional skills that did not necessarily come through in the clutch, Beckham quieted his critics by proving himself on the field.

David Beckham

David Beckham, in full David Robert Joseph Beckham (born May 2, 1975, Leytonstone, East London, England) English football (soccer) player who gained international fame for his on-field play as well as for his highly publicized personal life.
At age 11 Beckham won a football contest, and as a teenager he competed on Manchester United’s youth squad, leading it to a national championship in 1992. Three years later he began playing with the professional team in league competition, and during the 1995–96 season he helped Manchester United win the league title and the Football Association (FA) Cup. Beckham attracted national attention in August 1996 when he scored a goal from the halfway line (a feat roughly equivalent to a golfer’s hole in one). The following year Manchester United successfully defended its league title, and Beckham was voted Young Player of the Year. In the 1998–99 season Manchester United won the league title, the FA Cup, and the European Cup. Beckham was named best midfielder and Most Valuable Player. Considered one of the sport’s elite players, he was perhaps best known for his free kicks and crosses; the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham paid homage to his kicking ability. After helping Manchester United win three more league titles (2000, 2001, and 2003), he left the team in 2003 to join the Spanish football club Real Madrid. Four years later he signed a record-setting deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. In October 2008 Beckham signed to play with Italian football powerhouse AC Milan during the MLS off-season. In 2011 he helped the Galaxy win an MLS Cup title. The Galaxy won a second MLS Cup title in 2012, and Beckham left the team at the end of the season. In 2013 he joined the French first-league team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and PSG won the French domestic title in his one season with the team. Beckham retired from football soon after winning his championship with PSG.
In 1996 Beckham first played on England’s national team, in a World Cup qualifying match. At the 1998 World Cup he drew much criticism after he was ejected from a game for kicking an opponent. England lost the match and was eliminated from the competition. In 2000 Beckham was made captain of the national team. At the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, England was defeated in the quarterfinals. After the 2006 tournament, Beckham stepped down as captain, and he was later dropped from England’s national team. He was recalled to the team in 2007, and the following year he posted his 100th international appearance, becoming the fifth person to do so in the history of English football. Beckham was poised to be the first Englishman to appear in four World Cups, but he tore his Achilles tendon while playing for AC Milan in March 2010 and was ruled out for the 2010 tournament. A healthy but older Beckham was not selected for the English side at the 2012 European Championship, and he finished his national career with 115 international games played, the most in his country’s history for a non-goalkeeper.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham brings voices of children to the United Nations General Assembly

NEW YORK, 24 September 2015 – A unique installation that brings the voices of children and young people to the heart of the United Nations General Assembly is unveiled today by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, and two young people from UNICEF Voices of Youth initiative.

As the UN prepares to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals, the Assembly of Youth, a digital installation created for UNICEF by Google, harnesses mobile technology and social media to deliver personal messages from children and young people across the globe directly to world leaders. The messages highlight the challenges they face in their homes and communities - including extreme poverty, inequality, violence, deadly disease and conflict – and express their hopes for the future.

At the unveiling, David Beckham urged world leaders to listen to these messages – and to take action - to transform the lives of millions of children by putting the most disadvantaged children and young people at the centre of all decisions and investments in the new 15-year development agenda.

“It breaks my heart to see the struggles that children and young people across the world face every day,” said Beckham. “I’ve met children and mothers in South Africa living with HIV, I’ve met children living in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and I’ve met children who have experienced violence in Cambodia.  Whatever challenges they face, they all share the same hope for a better future –  – and we have an opportunity this year – with the world focused on the new global goals – to make that hope real for millions of children.” 

“I want a world where children can grow up safe from war, violence, poverty and preventable disease – a world where every child has a fair chance. I hope everyone will join me in asking world leaders to put children, especially the most disadvantaged, at the heart of the new global goals.”

Earlier this year, Beckham marked his 10^th year as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador with the launch of 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund to use his powerful voice, influence and connections to raise vital funds, fight inequality, and rally for lasting positive change for the world’s most vulnerable children. The Assembly of Youth is the latest initiative from UNICEF and David Beckham that brings the voices of children and young people to a global audience with the aim of inspiring action.  

“The Sustainable Development Goals speak to all people in all countries, especially children,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.  “The voices of young people helped forge the bold new 2030 agenda. Now the world must do more to involve young people in achieving the goals and building a world of peace, prosperity and justice for all on a healthy planet.”

Despite the progress made toward realizing the Millennium Development Goals, millions of children are still left behind.  Nearly 6 million children under the age of five still die every year from mostly preventable causes.  More than 120 million children and adolescents are still not in school and many millions more are not receiving a quality education. The Sustainable Development Goals present a critical opportunity to extend progress to every child, but only if the world makes reaching the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children a policy and political priority.

“Unless we invest in the most disadvantaged children from the earliest years, we will continue to see in the next generation the same poverty and inequalities that divide and destabilize our world today – and rob us of the potential of so many young people,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.  “To realize tomorrow’s goals, we need to listen to children and young people today – for who knows better than children and young people themselves what their needs are?  And we must do more than hear these voices, we must heed them.”

Data displayed in the installation is drawn from U-Report, a free SMS-based system that allows young people to speak out on the issues they face and what is happening in their communities. Data is also derived from outreach to children and young people across UNICEF social media channels.

Share your views and hopes for children across the world at, and your voice will be added to the installation, to remind world leaders that children must be at the heart of the new global agenda.

About Voices of Youth   

Set up by UNICEF, Voices of Youth is a global community of youth bloggers from all over the world which gives young people the opportunity to learn about development issues and to express their opinions.   

Voices of Youth seeks to create a space that will help young people develop into active global citizens equipped to communicate and collaborate effectively to make a positive difference in their countries and communities.

About U-Report   

U-Report is a groundbreaking text-message based innovation, set up by UNICEF, that amplifies the voices and views of young people in developing countries.  

U-Reporters can share their opinions on everything from the job skills they want to the best way to tackle epidemics.  This information is instantly mapped and analyzed, yielding vital information and real-time insights about how young people see their world and what they think is most important.  In turn, these aggregated views are used by development partners in their advocacy with governments and also shared directly with elected leaders. 

About UNICEF   

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do.  Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

David Beckham’s Old Trafford return a chance to remember how good he was

The former Manchester United midfielder is pitching in to help organise a Unicef charity match but while not in quite the same league as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, he deserves more credit than he generally receives

David Beckham, you may have heard, is back at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, appearing in a Unicef charity match he helped to organise. Naturally all tickets have been sold, even though you could not have told Aston Villa or Manchester United fans from recent seasons that late-edition Robert Pires or Michael Owen were a treat to watch, but Beckham is good at this sort of thing.

Beckham, it must be admitted, is pretty good at most things. He might even be better in his present role as charity ambassador, clotheshorse, globetrotter and all-round good egg than he ever was at football but in all probability not. Even at this short distance from his retirement two years ago there is a danger of forgetting just how good Beckham was at football.



Celebrating Pierluigi Collina as the referee returns to action at Old Trafford

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Strip away all the distractions, of which there were many, and the petty envy and mistrust, of which there was a surprising amount, and you are unquestionably left with one of the greatest of English post-war careers. Granted, Beckham did not win a World Cup, did not even come particularly close, and to that extent his place in the England and Old Trafford pantheon will always be secondary to Sir Bobby Charlton and others.

Yet if it is the misfortune of present generations of English footballers to be constantly and thanklessly compared to the Boys of ’66, Beckham has done more than most to compile an overall list of achievements worth weighing in the balance. He overtook Charlton’s England appearance record, for a start, and with 115 games for his country remains the nation’s most capped outfield player. Charlton won three league titles with United; Beckham managed six, then took himself off to play with distinction for Real Madrid and win the Spanish league in his final season.

Those are just the bare bones of the story. Not only is it difficult comparing players of wildly different generations and backgrounds, the distinction between a one-club player and someone who tested himself in more than a single country and culture is an added complication. As is the undeniable fact that Beckham played in a more consistently successful United side than even some of his most illustrious predecessors. Does that make his achievements greater or smaller?

If, as seems inevitable, Old Trafford orders a Class of ’92 statue at some point to stand alongside the famous trio of Best, Law and Charlton, the statistical comparison would be interesting, to say the least. The present statue, honouring the three household names from United’s 60s rise to become the first English winners of the European Cup (even if they did end up falling out with each other) boasts a total of seven league titles between the threesome.

Beckham has six on his own, plus one in Spain, and the Champions League medal collected as part of the 1999 treble. Gary Neville has two Champions League medals and eight English league titles. Paul Scholes can raise that by three more league titles, Ryan Giggs can go two further still. Were United to build a statue to Giggs, Scholes, Neville and Roy Keane, they would be honouring a quartet with a preposterous 39 league titles between them, not to mention FA Cups and European prizes. But while that foursome might be United’s most decorated, the plinth would not be complete without the presence of Beckham, arguably the most famous of the lot, and certainly the face of the Class of ’92 when they were still making their names on the pitch and proving Alan Hansen wrong about not being able to win anything with kids.

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The Match of the Day pundit made that understandable, though now infamous, comment just over 20 years ago, when United lost 3-1 to Aston Villa on the opening day of the 1995-96 season. Beckham had made his league debut a few months earlier, and by the end of his first full season United’s unjustly maligned kids had won a second double.

While Terry Venables resisted calling him up during Euro 96, Glenn Hoddle awarded him a cap at the earliest opportunity on taking over as England manager. By the time Beckham played in Moldova in September 1996 he was already famous, courtesy of opening the season – one year on from the defeat by Villa – with an outrageous goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon. Taking a pass from Brian McClair, Beckham spotted Neil Sullivan off his line and had the confidence and technique to put the ball in the right spot from 50 yards out. He has since described it as his best goal but said the biggest thrill of all was receiving congratulations from an admiring Eric Cantona.

If it was now beginning to be realised that there was something out of the ordinary about this good-looking boy with the floppy hair and winning smile, it was confirmed a couple of years later when he took part in the first of his three World Cups. Early in the tournament in France, Beckham was not having the easiest of times. Hoddle appeared to have doubts about his concentration, and had left him out of the first two games.

Back home, opposing fans had begun to single him out for abuse on account of his relationship with Victoria Adams and perceived showbiz lifestyle, a largely unfair prejudice that would dog even his England career for the next couple of years. Then, when he should probably have been keeping his head down and working hard, Beckham was photographed on a night out with his girlfriend in Nice. Staying at Elton John’s villa, as you do. And wearing a sarong, as footballers generally don’t.

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There was considerable front-page interest, as might be imagined, though when Beckham met up with back-page writers his concentration did not appear to have been adversely affected. Beginning by politely but firmly admonishing one journalist for misrepresenting him in a previous article, Beckham explained he had only ever wanted to be a footballer and was now living the life of his dreams. He was not about to let distractions from either the terraces or the media deflect him from his purpose, which was simply to fully explore his potential. “I can put up with any amount of stick from supporters,” he said. “I don’t necessarily like it, but I don’t let it affect me. I am the one who is being paid to play, after all. The people shouting at me have paid to come in and watch.”

That is not exactly an exclusive or even an original sentiment. Just about every professional footballer uses a form of that mantra as an aid to concentration and insulation against the more primitive terrace taunts. But Beckham did not merely trot out the line. He held his audience’s eye and argued his position articulately and reasonably. More than anything his self-assuredness was impressive and from that day on nothing he has done has come as a surprise to certain observers.


David Beckham kisses the Premiership trophy at Old Trafford after Manchester United claimed glory in May 2001. Photograph: Phil Noble/PA

He did rather let himself down with the petulant flick at Diego Simeone that helped bring one of England’s most promising World Cup campaign of recent years to an early close, though he could hardly have expected the referee to join his opponent in massively overreacting to the situation. He more than compensated for that lapse with the late free-kick against Greece that booked a passage to the next World Cup in Japan, completing a standout performance on home ground at Old Trafford that finally convinced the last of his England doubters. By that point he was England captain, Sven-Goran Eriksson having become convinced of his merits in next to no time. It wasn’t just that Beckham had the sweetest right foot in the country and the energy to get up and down the right wing all day, there was a winner’s attitude as well, a perfectionism and pride that rubbed off on the rest of the dressing room.

“His work ethic was fantastic,” Eriksson said. “He had fantastic stamina and a great right foot but he was also a super-professional football player, always trying to do his best for the team.”

Sir Alex Ferguson had other leaders available as captains of Manchester United, but saw the same professional qualities as Eriksson in Beckham. “He was extraordinary,” the former United manager says in his latest book. “When he first came to us he would train morning and afternoon then show up in the evening to join in with the schoolboys. At the start of each season we used to give all the players a bleep test to get a sense of their aerobic fitness, and Beckham was always off the scale. Cristiano Ronaldo was the same. He had this desire to become the greatest player in the world and was determined to do so. True winners are relentless. The very best players compete against themselves to become as good as they can be. They have to be dragged off the training ground.”

The eventual bust-up between Ferguson and Beckham, and the latter’s subsequent recasting of himself in Spain, the US, Italy and France, are mere details to an overarching theme. At any given stage in what by any standards was a remarkable career, Beckham knew where he wanted to go and had a shrewd idea of how to get there.


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He did not do it all by himself – there was considerable assistance from Eric Harrison and other United youth coaches along the way and even a short loan spell at Preston North End played its part – but from the moment Beckham became a first-team regular he appeared fully armed and fully formed. There was no visible learning curve; here was someone who could play from the start and would spend the next 10 years or so simply getting better.

Complaining that he never won a World Cup is like holding the same grudge against Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. That is not to suggest Beckham deserves quite the same billing as that magical pair – he was always more grafter than genius – though he does deserve a lot more credit than he generally receives. For someone who only ever wanted to be a professional footballer he achieved his goal and plenty more in considerable style, and managed to remain modest about it.

Ronaldo, to judge from his faintly disturbing new vanity project, would like to be remembered as something between best in the world and God’s gift to the beautiful game. Beckham does not mind if posterity judges him solely on perspiration. “I hope people remember me as a hardworking footballer,” he said recently. “Someone who gave everything he had every time he stepped on to the pitch.”

David Beckham is heartbroken by his son's reason not to become a footballer

David Beckham and sons Brooklyn, Cruz and Romeo prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina in 2014 Michael Steele/Getty Images

David Beckham has said he was heartbroken to discover that his son no longer wants to be a footballer because of the pressure of his father's legacy.

The former footballer has said that one of his young sons told him they no longer want to follow in his footsteps.

Victoria and David Beckham have three sons and one daughter – 16-year-old Brooklyn, 13-year-old Romeo, 10-year-old Cruz and 4-year-old Harper.

Beckham told ABC News that he would love for his children to play football professionally when they grow up, but only if it made them happy.

"One of my boys turned around to me the other day and said, 'Daddy, you know, I'm not sure I want to play football all the time...' It broke my heart a little bit," Beckham said.

He said that his son told him: "Every time that I step onto the field, I know people are saying, 'This is David Beckham's son', and if I'm not as good as you, then it's not good enough."

"I said, 'Okay, stop right there... You play because you want to play,'" Beckham said.

The Beckhams' eldest son Brooklyn was recently on the cover of Miss Vogue. The teenager has over 4 million followers on Instagram but his parents say that they still check every post before he shares them.

"I was so proud," Victoria Beckham said. "I mean imagine, my baby, on the cover of Vogue."

Victoria Beckham also spoke about the interest of her youngest child, Harper: "She loves fashion as all little girls do, she loves putting makeup on and playing with my shoes," she said. "But she loves sports. She's a little tomboy because obviously she has three brothers."

"She said to me the other day: 'Mummy I think I want to play football.' It was a dagger through the heart. I have three boys who want to play football, come on, let one of them want to be in fashion or dance," the designer said jokingly.

Brooklyn recently left the training academy for Arsenal's Under-18 team to focus on his A-Levels. The teenager has said that he wants to persue a career in photography.

David Beckham on his new short fashion film: 'I'm not launching an acting career'

1. Tat-watch
In person, the tattoos on Beckham’s arms are so plentiful, they seem less like bodily adornments and more like under-sleeves to his outfit. Which was otherwise very simple: dark grey T-shirt, black jeans, lush and towering quiff of hair. It worked.

2. Comportment
The hand-shaking, cheek-kissing, eye-contact-holding manners on this man are really quite something. Becks for president?

3. The film
It’s a 15-minute-long black-and-white melodrama, shot in Mexico, featuring circus performers, snakes, tarot cards and men in day-of-the-dead-style face paint, with a raspy Spanish voiceover whispering things like: “You are the moth to her flame.” Beckham plays the circus’s daredevil bike rider – complete with handsome Belstaff jackets – and eventually helps rescue the star performer (Katherine Waterston) from her possessive boss (Harvey Keitel).

Alexa Chung, Ciara and Anna Wintour get majestic on the Topshop front row – stylewatch

4. Nerves
Beckham’s first reaction when the idea was mooted was, “a) I can’t act; and b) I would be very nervous doing that,” he says. But director Geremy Jasper manged to convince him he could pull it off. (As did Harvey Keitel, who sent a huge bunch of lilies to his trailer on the first day with a note saying: “It takes a man to give another man flowers.”)

5. Strong and silent
The film’s big inspiration, says Jasper, was Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy in which Clint Eastwood is “a man of few words but many squints”, he says. “So I thought that would be the perfect role for David. It’s a big undertaking to have the camera on you like that, to carry a film. So if he plays this stranger, this mysterious figure, who is always watching then it makes it a little easier. He’s got a good face to watch.” Sure enough, Beckham doesn’t emit a peep, but he emotes pretty strongly via raised eyebrows and soulful stares.

5. Acting
Contrary to recent reports, Beckham says this isn’t the beginning of an acting career. His friend Guy Ritchie “has asked me to be in a couple of things – which I do as fun because I know he’s not going to make me look silly. And I really trust him [which is why I did] The Man from UNCLE and King Arthur. But [acting] is not something I’m looking to go into even though people have said I’m launching my acting career. I’m not, it’s just been a lot of fun and something I’ve really enjoyed.” Shame.

6. Victoria’s view
One critic has already given her view of the film – Beckham’s wife. “She was really impressed,” David says. “But she’s biased.”

David Beckham named People magazine's sexiest man alive for 2015

‘I never feel that I’m an attractive, sexy person’ former football star tells Jimmy Kimmel after the magazine cover is revealed on the host’s late-night talkshow

 

Beckham thanked his parents ‘for bringing me into this world’, as well as his hairdresser, stylist and Photoshop. Photograph: Alexia Fodere/AFP/Getty Images

David Beckham was declared “sexiest man alive” by People magazine Tuesday, joining an elite club including last year’s winner, Chris Hemsworth, and a handful of other above-average men.

The announcement was made on ABC’s late-night TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live, where the magazine cover sporting Beckham’s face was revealed.

“It’s the best moment of my career, I can’t believe it,” Beckham joked to the crowd, speaking remotely by video.

“I would obviously like to thank my parents for bringing me into this world. I would like to thank my hairdresser, my stylist, Photoshop,” he said.

The 40-year-old retired football legend’s identity was only revealed after host Jimmy Kimmel made his audience guess this year’s winner.

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“Has Taylor Swift ever made a song about you?” one person demanded.

“Have you ever had a man bun?” another asked.

By the time Beckham’s identity was divined, the audience knew he was a married athlete with children, had an accent and two tattoos, had never been to jail and, yes, formerly sported a man bun.

Beckham was given a small facial mirror as his reward.

“I never feel that I’m an attractive, sexy person,” Beckham told People magazine.

“I mean I like to wear nice clothes and nice suits and look and feel good, but I don’t ever think of myself that way.”

Beckham, who is married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, follows on the heels of last year’s winner, Australian actor and Thor avenger Hemsworth.

The award, which is in its 30th year, has previously gone to Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson, among others.