With David Beckham turning 40 on Saturday, here’s a few facts about the former England captain that you may not know.
1. Beckham the painter?
Beckham hugely enjoyed art and design classes at school and has suggested that he may have taken up painting if he had not made it as a professional footballer.
2. He learned from the best
Aged 11, Manchester United fan Beckham won a skills competition at a Bobby Charlton Academy summer soccer school, with the prize taking him on a two-week trip to Barcelona to experience the Catalan club’s facilities.
3. People want to bend it like Beckham
In 2000, it emerged that Staffordshire University was to run a 12-week “football culture” course in which students could study Beckham as part of certain degrees.
4. He has important friends
Beckham’s first two sons Brooklyn and Romeo both have Sir Elton John as a godfather and Elizabeth Hurley as a godmother.
5. He celebrates the greats
When he joined Real Madrid in 2003, Beckham with his regular number seven already occupied by skipper Raul opted for the 23 shirt as basketball great Michael Jordan had worn the same.
6. He has OCD
Beckham said in 2006 that he suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder, with excessive tidiness seeing him arranging “everything in a straight line or… in pairs”.
7. He has how many tattoos?
Give me every one of your tattoos David Beckham x pic.twitter.com/BYr3rYLUtd
— Aaron (@AaronNagha) June 10, 2014
The heavily-inked former midfielder has amassed more than 30 tattoos on his body.
Source: SNAPPA
