David Beckham, who was knighted earlier this month for his services to sport and charity, has made a heartbreaking admission about hanging up his boots
David Beckham
Nothing has replaced playing football for Sir David Beckham(Image: Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
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Sir David Beckham has admitted one major regret from his playing career.
The Manchester United legend, 50, has been knighted for his contributions to sport and charity, receiving his accolade from King Charles at Windsor Castle earlier this month. Beckham's career is one of the most illustrious in English football history, with a plethora of honours won with United, including the Treble in 1999.
He later had stints at Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain before finally hanging up his boots in his late 30s. He now holds co-ownership of MLS team Inter Miami and Salford City, while also achieving significant commercial success as one of the world's most recognisable figures.
However, he maintains that his post-playing fame doesn't replace the thrill of lacing up the boots, something he still misses greatly. Speaking to People, he said: "When you go through any big life stage or event, sometimes it's hard to take it all in in the moment.
"I miss my football playing days dearly, and I don't think I appreciated back then how much I would miss it all when it was gone. If I were to change anything, it would be to tell my younger self to really take in the moment."
David Beckham after receiving his knighthood
Beckham described being knighted as his "proudest moment"
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Beckham was deeply honoured to receive his knighthood from the King, describing it as his "proudest moment." He said: "To be honest, a young boy from the east end of London, born in Leytonstone, and here at Windsor Castle, being honoured by His Majesty the King – the most important and the most respected institution in the world – it's quite a moment. This is without doubt my proudest moment."
He said it was a "huge honour" to be acknowledged for both his sporting career and for the philanthropic work he has been involved in since he was "probably 17."
Discussing his motivation, Sir David said he realised early on that people paid attention to him and that this was a "powerful tool" in the charity world.
"I think mostly it's because of the career that I've had and the teams that I've played for and the things that I've won and the respect that I've gained throughout my career, and I think that that is why people listen to me," he explained.
"And I think it's a very powerful tool to have in charity. I just found very quickly that we could make change with things that I said and things that I got involved in and I think that's why it's so important to me."
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