David Beckham has been knighted for his services to sport and charity, but the England and Manchester United legend has admitted he still 'misses' the days of playing football
Nothing has replaced playing football for Sir David Beckham
Nothing has replaced playing football for Sir David Beckham(Image: YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
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Sir David Beckham has confessed that he still yearns for his football playing days, a full 12 years after retiring. The England and Manchester United legend, now 50, was recently knighted for his contributions to sport and charity, receiving his honour from King Charles at Windsor Castle earlier this month.
Beckham's illustrious career in English football is the stuff of legends, with numerous accolades won with United, including the coveted Treble in 1999. His journey then took him to Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain before finally hanging up his boots in his late 30s.
These days, Beckham is a co-owner of MLS team Inter Miami and League Two club Salford City, while also enjoying immense commercial success as one of the most recognisable faces globally. However, he maintains that his post-playing fame doesn't quite fill the void left by the thrill of lacing up his boots, something he 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.", reports the Mirror.
"If I were to change anything, it would be to tell my younger self to really take in the moment."
Nevertheless, Beckham expressed his honour at receiving his knighthood from the King for his services to sport and charity, 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 went on to say it was a "huge honour" to gain recognition for both his sporting achievements and the charitable work he has undertaken since he was "probably 17."
Discussing what motivates him, Sir David explained he recognised early in his career that people pay attention to what he says, and that this was a "powerful tool" when it comes to charity work.
"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 said.
"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."