David Beckham's first words as Man Utd and England icon finally gets knighthood
Former England captain David Beckham, whose Inter Miami side are preparing to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup this weekend, has been recognised with a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours
David Beckham declared himself "immensely proud" after being bestowed with a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours. Beckham, who turned 50 last month, has been given the honour for his services to sport and charity.
The former England captain, who won 115 caps for the Three Lions, with 59 of those as captain and Manchester United icon has become one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, known as well in Los Angeles as he is in Auckland and pretty much everywhere in between.
â
Speaking about his knighthood, Beckham said: âGrowing 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.
â
âOff 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.
âIâm so lucky to be able to do the work that I do and Iâm 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 Iâm immensely proud and itâs such an emotional moment for me to share with my family.â
READ MORE:King's Birthday Honours: David Beckham and Luke Littler among 17 sports people recognisedREAD MORE:Luke Humphries pays tribute to Luke Littler as darts duo feature in King's Birthday HonoursIt has been a rollercoaster ride for Beckham, who used to earn ÂŁ10 a shift collecting glasses at Walthamstow dog track before heading to United's academy as part of the fabled 'Class of 92', where, after making his Premier League debut in 1994, he truly announced himself as a star on the opening day of the 1996-97 season, with a memorable goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.
Article continues belowThe red card at France '98 and the subsequent fallout has never been forgotten - least of all by himself. 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, which include a pub hanging up an effigy of Beckham, and the hostility he faced at grounds around the country the following season. He admitted it left him a "mess".
â
And yet, he not only went on to be an integral part of United's Treble success in 1999 - winning six Premier League titles and two FA Cups too during his time at Old Trafford - he became England captain just two years after his dismissal in Saint-Etienne, became a one-man wrecking crew to drag the national side kicking and screaming to the 2002 World Cup with a virtuoso display and 93rd minute equaliser against Greece - and there, in Japan and South Korea, completed his redemption story with the winner against Argentina during the group stage.
At the height of his footballing fame, fronting global brands and married to a pop star, he became a Galactico in 2003, joining Real Madrid in a ÂŁ25million move after falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson and refusing to join Barcelona, having made almost 400 appearances for United and scoring 85 goals.
â
Beckham would go on to win La Liga before he departed for LA Galaxy in 2007 and collected the MLS Cup twice, spending two loan stints at AC Milan along the way. In January 2013, Beckham returned to Europe with Paris Saint Germain, later announcing his decision to retire when he signed off with a Ligue 1 winnersâ medal.
During his time in the States he had already been thinking about life after football, a remarkable business move during his time in MLS allowing him to become co-owner of Inter Miami in 2020 at a cut price rate, while a multi-million-pound lifetime deal with Adidas, signed in 2003, had long since secured his financial future away from the game.
Beckham, who was made an OBE for services to football in 2003, has long been involved with childrenâs charity UNICEF, and is a co-owner of film production company Studio 99.
â
In 2024 he was appointed Ambassador for The Kingâs Foundation which works globally to create sustainable communities through placemaking projects and also transform lives through practical education programmes.
Certainly, there has been no shortage of controversy, whether during his footballing career or after. But now, the man known in some quarters as 'Becks', and infamously also as 'Golden Balls', becomes Sir David.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Article continues belowWatch the Club World Cup free on DAZN
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
ÂŁ0
DAZN
Get DAZN hereThe FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world's best club teams including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich play across 63 games from June 14-July 13.
Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.
Kate Middleton frequently wears her late mother-in-law, Diana's, Collingwood pearl drop earrings for formal events, and we've found a pair that look just like them for under ÂŁ50
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Berlin Open next week after suffering from back issues at Queen's Club, but she should still be on course to feature at Wimbledon.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
King Charles III and senior members of the royal family held a minuteâ??s silence at Trooping the Colour on Saturday (14 June) in tribute to those who died in the Air India plane crash this week. His Majesty â?? wearing a black armband â??Ă was accompanied by Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales during the moment of reflection. The King requested amendments to the Trooping the Colour programme â??as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy,â? a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. All passengers but one on the flight to the UK died â?? 241 out of 242 â?? when it crashed in a huge fireball moments after take-off in Indiaâ??s western city of Ahmedabad.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 in tribute to those who died in the Air India plane crash this week. His Majesty â?? wearing a black armband â??Ă was accompanied by Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales during the moment of reflection. The King requested amendments to the Trooping the Colour programme â??as a mark of respect for the lives lost, the families in mourning and all the communities affected by this awful tragedy,â? a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said. All passengers but one on the flight to the UK died â?? 241 out of 242 â?? when it crashed in a huge fireball moments after take-off in Indiaâ??s western city of Ahmedabad. %23troopingthecolour) |
|
|
BBC's live broadcast of Trooping the Colour raised some questions as an interview was interrupted during the live broadcast by a missing segment.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
An RTD director could face disciplinary action after the chair of the 15-member board determined communication with staff members and a fellow director were âunprofessional and demeaning.RâŚ
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Bonnaroo 2025 lineup was packed with a bunch of some of musicâs greatest, but the festival was canceled due to inclement weather.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Ines de Ramon and Brad Pitt reportedly live together. Hereâs everything you need to know about Ines and her blossoming romance with Brad.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and United Autosports co-owner Richard Dean were on hand in the Le Mans fan village on Saturday morning to show off the Woking brand's forthcoming Hypercar to the public for the first time.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
In December of 218 BCE, a Roman Republican army suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca in the Second Punic War.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 | TheCollector In December of 218 BCE, a Roman Republican army suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca in the Second Punic War. %23mbe) |
|
|
The head of state and his wife left Buckingham Palace in a carriage at the head of a procession travelling along The Mall and into Horse Guards Parade where hundreds of guardsmen were on parade.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Jorrel Hato is one of a number of defensive targets for Chelsea in the summer transfer window and the young Dutchman has now spoken out about his future at Ajax
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Spurs could look to bring in two big-name players in the summer transfer window
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Royal Family members also wore black armbands to mark the deadly crash
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart noted Donald Trump's plummeting poll numbers early Saturday morning and pointed out there is only one metric that could make him change the course he has put the country on.On the day when Trump is using the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army to throw a parade aimed more at...
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
While not all queer organizations are facing the same financial woes as Pride Toronto, some community members say they understand why Pride events have become unaffordable.Â
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.