David Beckham on BBC Radio 2 Transcript

The show begins with a collage of dramatic moments from David Beckham's career to date.

Presenter Kate Thornton: David Beckham welcome!

Becks: Hello, Merry Christmas

Presenter: Merry Christmas to you. Now you know what you're here for today?

Becks: Of course

Presenter: We've been inundated with calls for you and the rules have been explained but just to re-iterate the Radio 2 audience have been calling and e-mailing with questions they want to put to you. Now the best, the most challenging and frankly the most ridiculous...

Becks: And scary

Presenter: And scary, are the ones that are going to make it through. You've not heard or seen any of these questions correct?

Becks: That's correct

Presenter: You have no idea what's coming

Becks: I have no idea which worries me a little bit

Presenter: (laughs) Well then let's get straight to the calls. Alexandra Keanes from Surrey is on the phone. What's your question?

Alexandra: Hi David

Becks: Hi Alex, Merry Christmas

Alexandra: And to you! I am the mother of 3 boys under the age of 10 like you are, well you're a father of 3 boys under the age of 10. I just wondered do you make your boys eat brussel sprouts on Christmas day?

Presenter: Good question!

Becks: Yes, they actually quite like brussel sprouts, since we've been living in America they've actually been eating really healthy so they've actually been eating salads, vegetables. Cruz actually likes broccoli, though he actually calls it trees, small trees.

Alexandra Yes mine do too.

Becks: But they actually all love brussel sprouts, so yeah they do eat them on Christmas day

Alexandra: That's fantastic

Presenter: Well thank you for your call Alex, have a nice christmas.

Becks: It was nice to talk to you

Alexandra: Bye bye

Presenter: Healthy eating boys and hopefully a healthy attitude to the music over the next two hours also. As people have not only submitted questions for you but also song-choices

Becks: Oh, really?

Presenter: We asked listners to suggest songs that remind them of you or that have a special kind of poignant meaning. And we've also asked you to bring in some of your favorite songs which we will be playing through out the show. A little hip hop, Tom petty some Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson

Becks: OK, nice, good

Presenter: But this one has come in from a listener this is The Boss, Santa Claus is coming to town. It was suggested by Pamela Garcia, purely because it was Christmas day

Becks:OK

Plays first Song, fan selection: Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus is coming to town

Presenter: Now we've has lots and lots of e-mail come in for you David and this next one is from Matthew Rees. He wants to know, dead simple, 'How do you. as a family, spend your Christmas day? Any weird traditions?

Becks: No weird traditions at all. It's just like most families around the world. We get up early in the morning. Half-six - seven o'clock I think the boys woke up which is not too bad, and they open their presents.

Presenter: And How long does the unwrapping of christmas presents take in the Beckham household?

Becks: Not as long as it takes to wrap them up.

Presenter: That's my least favourite part of Christmas. Do you wrap your own presents?
Becks: I wrap my own presents because I always get really nice wrapping paper for Victoria and we, obviously me and Victoria, always leave our presents to the end because obviously we want to watch the boys open theirs and see what they've got and enjoy watching their faces and then it's our turn

Presenter: We've got actually quite a serious proposal for you now David. This is from Martha Darwin. 'I'm seven years old and When I grow up I want to be a professional dancer. So please, will you be my partner in 15 years time so we can win Strictly come dancing together?

Becks: I would love to be your partner in 15 years time but you might not want me in 15 years time you might have other boyfriends but of course I would love to be

Presenter:: Would you like to learn the discipline of ballroom dancing at some point in your life? Other footballers have gone before you

Becks: I would just love to learn dancing at some point in my life

Presenter: Would you?

Becks: Yeah

Presenter: When a song comes on and you're out are you too self-conscious because of the glare that surrounds you to get out on the dance floor?

Becks: Well I have got a little bit of rhythym but my wife will turn round to me when we're dancing and say, "have you got an i-pod on? because it just looks like you're listening to some other kind of music." Which kills you

Presenter: So what then it's straight back to the bar?

Becks: Yeah go and sit down for a while and let her get on with it but aaaah I think I've got a little bit of rhythym. I'm exaggerating a little bit

Presenter: When was the last time you had a really good dance

Becks: Ummm really good dance was the boys christening. We christened the boys at the house and we had about 150 of our friends at the house, friends and family and Elton John sang because he was meant to sing at our wedding but he obviously had his pacemaker fitted (Presenter - well that's a pretty genuine reason for not showing up. Becks - yeah ) so he promised he'd make it up to us one day and so he did and then we got the boys christened and I'd drunk quite a lot of red wine that night and then danced and danced and danced and then Victoria tells a story about how I had to put my shoes in the freezer because they were on fire but that was the last time I had a really good dance

Presenter: Feels good though doesn't it

Becks: It does, It does. I don't know about the morning after but that night it felt great I must admit

Presenter: I know you are a huge fan of music and its become something of a tradition that big stars turn up at your parties and perform for you and the next track we're going to play is one of your choices. Stevie Wonder and Superstition. Why are we playing this?

Becks: We're playing this because I've always been a huge fan of Stevie Wonder and it's a tradition in our house, in our cars, you know the boys love Stevie Wonder. And also at our welcome party in LA He turned up and he got up on the mic and sang like four numbers for us and dedicated one song to us. To actually meet him and to speak to him for a while... he spoke to me and he said, it was quite funny, he said "if you could teach me how to play football you'd be some player"... Those sorts of moments you cherish.

Presenter: You said it was good to get a picture with him so do you understand people saying David can you do a picture?

Becks: I do but it's quite embarrassing cos I was like turning round to Victoria saying I really want a picture but I can't ask him so she went up and said can David have a picture with you

Presenter: So she was bolder than you

Becks: Yeah I still get really star-struck by many of the people we still meet

Presenter: Who turns your head who do you get giddy about?

Becks: Muhammed Ali, I think to meet him one of the greatest sportsmen that ever lived, meeting him, people like Nelson mandela I think that was amazing. Being honored by the queen ummm things like that. So theres many people that I've met in my life and I look back on and it's really honorring.

Presenter: Not bad for an Essex boy

Becks: Not bad for an Eastend boy you're right

Plays second song, Becks selection, Superstition by Stevie Wonder

Presenter:Stevie Wonder's Superstition got everybody dancing in here, including behind the glass I have to say. I hope its moved your Christmas day in the same way. There were a few funky chickens going on back there wasn't there?

Becks: There was, there was three of them. Question three

Presenter: Next on the line we've got Craig King calling in from Leicester; Hi Craig, you're through to David, what's your question?

Craig: Hello David, Merry Christmas

Becks:And to you Craig

Craig: Having three boys, what do you think is the best advice a father can give his son?

Becks: The best advice umm I think that umm the only thing that I believe in is being there for your children it doesn't matter what they want to do or what they become when they're older, when they grow up. The support that you show them is the most important thing. Everybody asks me if I want my boys to be football players and of course I'd love them to be football players but if they want to do anything else, you support them and are proud of them you do whatever you can for them, so for me that's the biggest advice I can give.

Presenter: Well travelling over to North west Wales now and Andrea Jones would like to put a question to you. Hi Andrea

Andrea: Hello, How are you?

Presenter: Very good thank you, merry christmas, your on the line to David, what would you like to ask?

Andrea: Hello David

Becks: Hello Andrea

Andrea: Nice to speak to you

Becks: Nice to speak to you too

Andrea: My little boy Sammy, he's six and he fancies himself as a little bit of a goalkeeper. He's very serious about it. He describes you as a good footballer but he doesn't think that you are good enough to put a penalty past him. Can he have your thoughts on that please?

Becks: OK. Well he sounds like a goalkeeper already. Very confident. All goalkeepers are crazy . They're all sort of eccentric. So I think it's great that hes already confident

Andrea: So it's ok to be full of yourself?

Becks: Course it is. As a goalkeeper you've got to be full of yourself and very confident so good luck to him he sounds like he's got a great future ahead and hopefully one day I might take a penalty against him .

Andrea: You never know, thanks very much

Presenter: She touched upon the fact there and you talked earlier about young boys pursuing there football dreams. Which of your boys do you think could end up following in your "studs"?

Becks: Well possibly all of them because they all love playing football. Brooklyn's obviously the oldest, hes the one thats been playing a little bit more than the other two. The other day I took him over the field and he was striking the ball into the goal. He's got a great strike, a great right foot and he kept the ball up 64 times so at 8 years old that's pretty good

Presenter: You must be very proud

Becks: I was very proud cos I actually promised him $10 for each like 10 that he makes and his record was 18 before we went over there so he started like

Presenter: so he completely conned you on that one

Becks: Completely completely I had to hand like $60 over to him and Victoria was saying, why are you giving him so much money and I was like I promised him but I didn't expect him to do so many!

Presenter: You left home, were you 14 when you left home?

Becks: Ah fifteen

Presenter: Fifteen. That was a huge moment in your life I'm sure. Can you remember how you felt having to leave the security of a family home to go north. You sort of moved in with a foster family of sorts for a while

Becks: Well I knew it was what I wanted to do. I think that's why it was easy for me to leave my Mum and Dad. I'm not saying I didn't miss them cos I used to get homesick alot but my Mum and Dad were great cos they used to come up every weekend whatever game I was playing in they'd be there. That's the way they've been whole way through my career. So I've been lucky to have a mum and dad who want to come and see anything that I do but it was tough it was still tough moving away from my family at 15 years old moving into one sort of lodgings where a few of the other players were in. Then I moved out of that lodging and into another one that was with Tommy and Annie Kay and they were the best because Mark Hughes used to stay there and obviously

Presenter: He was your hero?

Becks: He was one of my heroes and so to be in the same house that Mark Hughes had actually grown up in and lodged in was incredible for me and they gave me his room and they treated me amazingly well. You know they sort of became my second Mum and Dad . I think it made my Mum and Dad a lot more happier knowing that someone like that was looking after me.

Presenter: You've spoken about them briefly in the past do you keep in touch with them?

Becks: Yeah unfortunately Tommy died a couple of years ago and I spoke to Annie a couple of days ago. When we played England games in Manchester shes always been there. Shes always been so supportive of me. Shes an incredible woman. She looked after me for so many years and I'll always hold a special place in my life to her

Presenter: I'm sure she'll be listening today so Merry Christmas to her
Becks: Merry Christmas Annie

Presenter: If one of your boys follows you into football could you and Victoria wave him off at 15 as confidently as your Mum and Dad did if he was going to Manchester United?

Becks: Obviously if it happens to my boys then We'd support them in anything they want to do. The problem is if one of them plays for Real Madrid and one plays for Manchester United its going to be difficult

Presenter: But you'd be quite happy for them to pursue that?

Becks: Without a doubt. You know if that's what they want to do then great and if they want to go into something else, we'll always support them.

Presenter: Difficult to say good bye though

Becks: It would be but ah we'd be going wherever they were

Presenter: It's that attitude that inspired this next track choice

Plays song three, a fan selection: Boney M's Daddy Cool

Presenter: next on the line is 9 year old Robert with a question for David

Robert: Hello

Presenter: Hi Merry Christmas

Robert: Thank you

Presenter: Guess what,

Robert: what?

Presenter: You're through to David

Robert: I know

Becks: Hi Robert, Merry Christmas

Robert Thank you

Presenter: what would you like to ask?

Robert: Well I'm 9 and I take free kicks for my team. I can bend the ball with no power or I can kick the ball straight with power. How do you do both

Becks: Well when I was your age thats how I used to scored my free kicks I used to kick them straight with power but now I've been practising and practising I can curl the ball, swerve the ball and also with power. The biggest thing that you need to do is always practice thats what I always used to do when I was your age practice and practice. Every day in the park I used to take the footballs over with me and take free kick after free kick, just practising striking the ball. It's not as important at your age to get so much power as long as you are accurate and as long as you know where you want to put the ball before you strike it. That's the most important thing

Robert: Yeah

Becks: and enjoy your game, what foot are you? right footed?

Robert Yeah

Becks: Good boy, well keep on practising ok

Robert ok

Presenter: Alright, well thanks so much Robert does that answer your question?

Robert: Yes

Presenter: Well wonderful you have a very merry christmas thank you for calling

Presenter to Becks: So you would spend literally hours every day practising?

Becks: I would. My Dad would come in from work and I'd be over the park already just practising and he'd come over until it got dark

Presenter: You used to train while it was dark as well, didn't you?

Becks: Yeah I did, yeah I did...my Dad used to have to come over and drag me in at the end

Presenter: Yeah but your Dad was a great Dad but also a mentor. He was there every step of the way with your training wasn't he?

Becks: Without a doubt. There was times you know when he used to make me cry cos I wanted to use my right foot the whole time and he'd say no, we're not going in till you carry on using that left foot. You know he worked on my control. He used to kick the ball as high as he could and not let me come in until my control was perfect on that night and that's the way he sort of trained me.

Presenter: So was it your Dad that taught you to bend it like Beckham?

Becks: Ah yeah it probably was actually but I think he kind of gave me all the encouragement to do everything that I can do these days but I think what my Dad give me more than anything was the training ethic of not giving in and doing as much as you can to make your dream happen and it's not until you get older that you realise that everything that he used to do and say to me, you know I used to have great Sunday league games and he'd turn round to me and say 'yeah, you done well today' and that was it, that was as much as he'd say to me

Presenter: Really?

Becks: But if I had a bad game he'd tell me. He'd sit me down and talk to me about the whole thing and I think that's whats different about the kids these days, I'm sounding old now, but there are so many other distractions around these days, you know, computer games and I think theres a lot more to keep kids active these days than there was back when I was like 8 or 9 years old all I ever wanted to do was take a football over the park, kick it around and practice .

Presenter: we've got another call now. We'll go to Lancashire this is Paul Edmondson and Paul you've got another football related question:

Paul: Yes, Merry Christmas David

Becks: And to you Paul,

Paul: My question goes back to when you were about 19 and Sir Alex sent you out on loan to my local club Preston North End and I remember that you took the division by storm and in the frst game, you scored off a corner. In the second game you scored from a free kick and then third game we won five nil and then you never really looked back after that. The following week you went back to manchester United. I was wondering when you really knew you were going to make it big in the game?

Becks: Umm, I don't, I've never really sat back and said 'oh I've made it now' because I think that's one thing that my Dad always used to say to me. My Dad used to turn round and say 'you've not made it yet' All the time, whether I was playing in the European cup final, whether I was playing for England. You know he'd always joke to me and say 'you haven't made it yet' so it's something that I've never really sat back and thought about myself and my career. But Preston was a huge part of my career and my learning curve bacause when Sir Alex turned around to me in his office and said 'I want you to go on loan to Preston' I thought my world had ended at Man United. I went home crying and phoned my Dad and said, Man United are letting me go and it wasn't until Sir Alex sat me down and said, "No, we want you to go and get experience, want you to... But I think at that age you don't listen to anything other than he wants you to go and play at another club for a month and you know it was the best thing he could ever have done for me and my career because I was a skinny kid from London who was not ready for playing for the first team. Umm and he sent me out to a club where you know Preston was a great club when I went there and played with some of the players that I played with. It came to the end of the month and I didn't want to leave

Presenter: Really? What a turn around

Becks: I actually didn't want to leave and I always look back at Preston as a club so fondly

Presenter: Well thank you so much for your call Paul

Paul: Your welcome

Presenter to Becks: You must have made such a huge impression in Preston when you played there because Walter Tarbuck is from the area and he says "I'm a fan of Preston, therefore it's a given that I'm a fan of yours I recently read that good manners and politeness are cornerstones of teaching at the Academy. In an age where bad manners and rudeness are the norm is there a place for someone like yourself in government perhaps as Minister for good manners and decency?

Becks: Oh dear, That would be great. Ah I don't know. It's always nice to be told that you've got good manners and its the way I've always been bought up. It's the way I bring my boys up. You know even my 2 and a 1/2 year old son Cruz, he always says please or thank you for anything that he asks for. So it's always nice as a parent to hear people come up and to you and say your sons are really polite so my Mum and Dad would be very proud now

Presenter: Well good grace and good manners have seen you through some tricky times and in a moment we're going to be discussing the highs and lows of your incredible career, world cups, glory goals, transfers and resignations but first ...

Plays Song 4, fan selection: Nobody does it better by Carly Simon

Presenter: Nobody does it better, by Carly Simon dedicated to David Beckham. Obvious why. OK let's talk some more football. This is a moment in your career I don't think you'll ever forget but let me remind you of it anyway. Take a listen:

Plays commentary from when Becks scored the goal from his own half against Wimbledon in 1996

Presenter: Do you know that moment?

Becks: I do. I do that was one of the biggest moments in my career. To score a goal like that in a premiership game for a team that I've always wanted to play for was incredible

Presenter: It was Wimbledon. It was 1996.

Becks: It was the start of the season. It was a warm day. It was in London and you know I was playing in the team and Cruyff just tried a shot like five minutes before that 10 or 15 yards further into the half and I turned around and looked at the manager and the manager was like going mad on the bench and then I saw a chance to do the same and if you watch the video as I strike the ball Cruyff's arms go down as if to say I can't believe you've just tried that

Presenter: And pulled it off

Becks: and it went in. And then the biggest thing for me was after the game with Eric Cantona coming up and just saying what a goal. I've got a photo at home where the balls in mid-air and I can see my Mum, Dad and sister in the crowd just behind the goal so it's an amazing picture

Presenter: A special special moment in your career. And I think that was the moment that really put you on the map. But that was an exceptional squad you were playing in at the time. Your talking Giggs, Scoles, the Neville brothers all homegrown and rared talent.

Becks: It was probably the most special time in my career. You know all of that had grown up together. Without a doubt it was the most special time in my career to be able to play under the manager that we had who had the confidence to just put us all in there. You know he got rid off 3 big players at man United

Presenter: It was brave at that momemt.

Becks: it was brave but people turned around and said was it luck but then you know hes doing the same with the squad now you know hes bringing young players into the team. He changes the whole face of football with his decisions most of the time. And like I said for me it was the biggest and best time of my career to just be part of that team that just came through all together

Presenter: Golden Days

Becks: It was, it was just incredible

Presenter: And really you didn't put a foot wrong - until this and I'm sure this is still very difficult for you to listen too. Your already cringing. OK take a listen

Plays commentary from Becks being sent off at the 1998 World Cup during the England v Argentina match.

Presenter: My stomach just lurched at that point. Who knows what yours must have been doing

Becks: Umm well just listening to it there gives me goosebumps. You know the hairs stand up on the back of my neck and not for a good reason. But you know I look back on that time and I tried to stay positive through the whole thing

Presenter: Well we have a question from a man not to far from here, Radio 2's Steve Wright

Steve Wright: Hello David, Steve Wright from Radio 2 here my question that I'd like to ask is, in that match in 1998 when you were sent off what was it like in that kind of low in the couple of months when unbelievably you were unpopular for, what was it, must have been about eight or nine weeks, and how did you eventually recover from that personally and professionally. Merry Christmas

Presenter: Thank you Steve

Becks: Thank you

Presenter: How did you recover form that actually? cos Steve's right, it's hard to imagine that you were that unpopular but you were public enemy number one.

Becks: Yeah for me personally and for my family at the time it was terrible. I was lucky to have Victoria, my Mum and Dad, Victoria's Mum and Dad, my Nan and Grandad, my sisters, you know we all sort of closed ranks and they all sort of got behind me and done everything possible because they realised for the next two, well we didn't realise at the time that it was going to be two - three years, it was going to be tough. That year at Man United

Presenter: The reaction at the time was vitriolic. I mean I know it was an important match but you were merely sent off from a football game you hadn't hurt anyone, you'd committed no crime but you were being treated like, well you had really. I mean it was tough, tough times.

Becks: Yeah I was young, still young and so to go through a lot of the stuff that I went through, I mean for anyone it would be hard and I think getting over it... one of the first phonecalls was from Victoria, after the game, but one of the other ones was from Sir Alex Ferguson who said go away for a few weeks and then come back to United where everyone will look after you and you'll enjoy your football again. And that was one of the best phone calls I could have got because at that point I was really low umm you know I walked off the pitch with one of my best friends now, Terry Byrne, and he looked after me while I was in the changing room just talking to me

Presenter: That must have been hard in the changing room, what must have actually been running through your mind?

Becks: Well I actually turned round to Terry and said why, why me, why now? It was only recently he made me a video and he said at the time I couldn't answer you, I didn't know what to say he said, because I didn't know why and then he said, 10 years on this is the reason why, because you have to go through something like that in your career and in your life to make you stronger and that's why I look back on the time in '98 and think it happened for a reason and it bought our families closer together and I think that was a big thing

Presenter: I think many people under-estimate your wife and her incredible support at that time, because I spent some hours around you at that time and experienced it first hand, she was un-wavering. She was your strength when you were weak, wasn't she?

Becks: She always is you know, she always is and you know she always has been since we met. Victoria's never been the biggest football fan. You know she'll support me but shes never been one to say well there's a match on this Sunday shall we watch it. Funnily enough. Hard to believe. (laughter) But shes the one who will support me no matter what, so through that time she was so strong for me. Like my parents were, like everyone around me was because it was tough but you have to go through tough times, it's not always good, you can't have... (Presenter interjects: the good times without the bad). Without a doubt. I look back at '98 and think it did happen for a reason and my career after that went from strength to stregth. We won the treble in 99 so to have that turn around was incredible.

Presenter: This next track has been chosen for you because of the way you handle yourself when your back is against the wall and you have always continued to this day to let your work do the talking for you. You speak through your football. This was suggested by Adrian King from three counties. Were you ever a fan of the Stonr Roses?

Becks: I was. I was a big fan of the Stone Roses and I've got their album. In fact its one of their albums I always listen to before a game

Presenter: Oh really? Well then you might know this one

Becks: Living in Manchester you have to be

Presenter: of course you do. it's the law

Becks: of course

Presenter: This is the final track from their self-titled debut album. It's I am the resurrection

Plays song five, fan selection. I am the Resurrection by The Stone Roses.

Now after that world cup you fought your way back amid much controversy going on to kind of beat the critics becoming England captain which was a choice at the time that caused many raised eye-brows and then of course there was the 2002 world cup and this

Plays commentary of David Beckham scoring from the penalty spot against Argentina in the 2002 world-cup

Presenter: Wonderful stuff and a big question from Mark Steadman a big fan of yours from Nottingham from years ago

Presenter: Hi Mark, you're through to David

Mark: Hi Merry Christmas David

Becks: And to you Mark, thank you

Mark: David I just wanted to know as soon as the penalty was given and you knew you were going to take it what were you actually thinking, were you thinking about your family, were you thinking about all the fans in the ground, what exactly was going through your head before you were about to take the penalty?


Becks: There were so many emotionas going through my head at that point, I was thinking back to '98 but I knew that it was something that I had to do, to just get over sort of what had gone on in my life in that past four years and for me it was the best and biggest thing I could ever have done in my career at that point in time because, you know, the moment the ball struck the back of the net, funnily enough my mind went clear from everything I was thinking, from everything that I'd gone through, from everything that my family had gone through and I knew how much it had meant for me to score that goal for my family and of course for the fans cos there is a big rivalry against Argentina. So I think to score that goal and then have everything wiped from my mind, not from my memory because there are certain things that will never go away

Presenter: Ok thanks very much Mark

Mark: Thanks very much

Becks: Nice to talk to you Mark

Mark: Nice to talk to you cheers

Becks: Take care, Bye

Mark: Bye

Presenter: Another question on e-mail now this is from John Hargreaves from Lancashire. He says, "Straight answer please. Did Sir Alex tell you your time was up or did you decide it was time to move on?"

Becks: Funnily enough, I read Bobby Charlton's book that's recently come out and his book says that I was offered a contract and that the figures I'd been offered in the contract were very fair. At that moment in time I hadn't been offered any new contract at Man United and I'd left at the end of that season thinking that I'd be there still the season after

Presenter: Really you wanted to see your career out at United, didn't you?

Becks: Without a doubt. You know I joined Man United and I wanted to play for Man United my whole career and finish my career at Man United, you know, it was my boyhood dream to play for them and I never wanted to leave. You know I remember being on holiday with Victoria and the kids at the time. I remember getting a phone call from one of my mates, Dave Gardiner, and he said 'have you seen the news?' and I said 'well no, what is it?' and he said, he said 'Man United have accepted a bid from Barcelona.' So I talked to the agent looking after me at the time and he said 'yeah it's true we've just had a call from Man United saying they're prepared to let you go,' so ummm at that point in time we packed up our bags, we flew back to London and

Presenter: You must have been so hurt because your relationship with Alex Ferguson was beyond 'player - manager' really wasn't it?

Becks: Without a doubt, you know he was a father figure to me, to bring me through like he did, all the way through my career from such a young age. You know I was mascot at Westham for man United one year when I was like 10 or 11 years old

And I think skysports was at one of our games and I was like stood next to gary and I'd heard rumors and I'd heard teams were interested in me but I never thought for one minute it would happen and I remember turning round to Gary on the pitch and saying 'they've had talks" because I'd heard Man United had had talks with Barcelona, and they lip read it and lip read it wrong cos they said that I was saying that I've had talks, which I'd never spoke to anyone.

Presenter: Which changes it considerably.

Becks: I'd never spoke to anyone at that moment in time. The only time that I spoke to Real Madrid was the moment I rang up Peter Kenyon when I got back to England and said 'can I speak to the manager cos I really need to know is this what the manager wants is this?' and he said, 'yeah, it's time for you to go' and I was like 'OK' and that was the first day that I spoke to Florentino Perez at Real Madrid

Presenter: It must have been very emotional for you that time because...

Becks: It was because we'd settled as a family, we was happy in Manchester, Brooklyn had just started going to school there. Victoria was settled in Manchester and to sort of decide on your future it was all done in literally 2 or 3 days. We hadn't been over to Madrid and we were lucky because it was a great place to live and everyone treated us amazingly over there. I mean you never know and you like to be prepared

Presenter: of course

Becks: But it was all sort of a blur, as much as playing for Real madrid was one of the biggest things any player can do in there careers and the four years were incredible, to play with some of the players that I did and some of the memories that I've got you know, but I never ever thought I'd be playing for any other club but Man United.

Presenter: But what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, which takes us to our next track now which is one of your choices.

Plays song six, Becks selection. Stronger by Kanye West

Presenter: Next on the line for you David we've got Billy Fong, who's calling from North-east Scotland. Billy you're through to David

Billy: David, my question is was it hard for you to give up the England captaincy

Becks: Hi Billy, Merry Christmas, for me it was on of the, if not the toughest decisions I've ever made in my career. being the England captain for those almost six years, was the biggest honor I could ever have been given in my career and something, it's not easy to hand it over. It killed me at the time. It made me physically sick. The moment I got back to the hotel after telling the press what I'd done, but I think when I made the statement then I got up and walked out and all the press applauded me, you know that made it even worse for me because it was a clap of like saying thank you

Presenter: Very emotional time

Becks: It was, it was one of the most emotional times in my career

Presenter: Well thank you very much for your call Billy

Billy: Thanks very much

Presenter: Next on the line we've got John Clay, have I got that right

John: Yes, that's right

Presenter: Merry Christmas you're through to David

John: Hi David

Becks: How you doing, Merry Christmas,

John: Thanks, I was just wondering what your inspiration for your football academies was and if you cater for under-priveleged kids?

Becks: It's something that we do cater for in the academy, you know we have under-priveleged children and disabled children come down to the academy since we opened we've had 22,000 kids come through and like 16,000 of those kids have come through the doors free of charge

Presenter: wow

Becks: Its an academy that I actually want kids to come down and have fun and be able to come down whether they can afford it or now. Me opening the Academies was a big thing for me I'd wanted to do it for many years. I went to the Bobby Charlton soccer school and at that point I was 100/11 years old and you know I didn't know that in years to come I would want to do that umm but when I was coming to 25/26 years old in my career I just started to think what I wanted to do. The soccer academy is not just about kids coming down and learning about football, it's about learning about healthy eating, we've got a healthy eating plan. We've got classrooms in there, which scare the children at first, when they first walk in and they're seeing classrooms but there's so many different things about the Academies that kids enjoy

Presenter: Well John thank you for your call

John: Thank you

Becks:to talk to you bye

Presenter: well next we're off to the southern counties now. Philip Bailey has a question for you. Hi there Philip

Philip:Hi there

Presenter: what's your question?

Philip:My question is what did David really think of Steve McClaren when he dropped him out the England set-up?

Becks: Merry Christmas

Philip:Merry Christmas to you

Becks: It was tough because I never really saw it coming. You know once I'd stepped down as captain and then being told you're not in the plans for the future of playing for England

Philip:Do you think it was personal?

Becks: I don't know. I think there was many things and many decisions at the time that happened whether I think it was personal or professional, I don't know. I'd like to think at the end of the day I'd like to believe it was professional as much as I believed at the time that I could carry on playing for my country there was nothing I could do about it, it was out of my hands but I just believed that I would be back in there, I had to believe that. There was no way I wanted my England career to end like that

Presenter: No that's not the full-stop you're looking for. Well Philip thank you very much for your call

Philip:Thanks

Becks: Thanks Philip

Presenter: Time for more music now, this is another of your choices, Tom Petty, why did you choose this one?

Becks: I chose this one because it's one of my most favorite films. It was mine and Victoria's first date

Presenter: Jerry Mcguire?

Becks: Jerry Mcguire so..

Presenter: Did she have you at hello?

Becks: She did

Presenter: Awww

Becks: She did, but ah this was our first date and our first film so it's special

Presenter: Well let's dedicate this to Mrs Beckham. This is Freefalling by Tom Petty

Play song seven, Becks selection. Freefalling by Tom Petty

The song from the movie that started it all for Britains favorite couple

Newsbreak

Show resumes

Presenter: David we've asked you to bring in some of your favorite albums today including your all time favorite Christmas song so what's it to be. What's the one song you love to dress your tree and wrap your presents too, dance around too

Becks: There's quite a few but you know, I think I love Frank Sinatra at Christmas but I think The Pogues I think that's the Christmas song that everybody loves

Presenter: We can never remember the words but we all get drunk enough to give it a good try

Becks: You remember the words when you've had a drink

Presenter: Yeah we do. This is it, Fairytale in New York. The Pogues

Plays song eight, Becks selection. Fairytale in New York - The Pogues

Now we're going to go back to the phones. We've got Vicky Padbury on the line. Now Vicky where are you calling from?

Vicky: I'm calling from Rygate in Surry

Presenter: Merry Christmas to you. You're through to david, what's your question?

Vicky: My question is, how do you talk about father christmas with your three little boys what do you say to them?

Becks: Well Merry Christmas first of all

Vicky: Thank you

Becks: Ummm what do I say to them? Well they all obviously love Christmas time. They're aware of Father Christmas we went to see him in Iceland a few years ago

Presenter: Did you?

Becks: Which they loved

Vicky: The real one!

Becks: yeah the real one and they were amazed by it all. So they're very Christmassy we've bought them up that way and that's the way we've described the whole thing

Vicky: it's magical especially when your children are very young

Becks: Well that's the way it should be, Christmas, it's all about the kids until the evening when you're just sat in the lounge, watching Only Fools and Horses and eating all the left-overs and that's the way it should be. It's very traditional in our house. We love it.

Presenter: Vicky thank you for your call.

Becks: Nice talking to you have a very Merry Christmas

Vicky: Thank you and to you and all your family, bye.

Presenter: On the run up to Christmas do you use Christmas as a bit of a bribing mechanism for good behaviour in the house

Becks: yeah...

Presenter: Not only you but the wife, Victoria as well?

Becks: More with the boys than with Victoria, every now and then I have to use it with Victoria but it's mre the boys the boys are aware that father Christmas is watching them through one of the sprinkler systems

Presenter: Oh really? Is that how he sees them in your house?

Becks: That's how he sees them in our house so...

Presenter: So if they misbehave?

Becks: There's a red light on one of the systems in the house so the boys are aware that that's where Father Christmas is watching

Presenter: So they know not to put a foot wrong or the list gets smaller?

Becks: Without a doubt and it does work, actually it really works

Presenter: OK time now to travel back to 1994 with Paul Pearson, who's from Dorset, Paul you're on the line to David

Paul: Yes, Hi David

Becks: Hi Paul, Merry Christmas

Paul: And to you. In December '94 I took my son to see Queens Park Rangers against Manchester United. It was one of the first times I think that you were actually with the first team squad. You signed my sons programme and no one knew who you were my question is - Are there times now when you wish you could go back and be anonymous and have nobody know you

Presenter: Good question thank you paul

Becks: Ummm no I don't think there is I think the only time is when I'm with my sons and with the family and you just want to go over the park and kick a ball round and let the boys ride around on their bikes, but I'm not one of these people who is in the limelight but complains you know. I think I've been very lucky through out my life to be able to go to different countries and meet different people so there are times maybe when I'm with the kids that we want maybe a little more privacy, but I'm never gonna sit back and complain and moan about my life cos it's been incredible so far.

Presenter: Thank you very much Paul

Paul: OK thank you

Becks: Thank you

Presenter: OK time now for another quick fire question on the subject of music, Jane Cooper is on the line, Jane, Merry Christmas, what's your question?

Jane: Thank you, what was the first question you bought?

Becks: hmmm

Presenter: You're gonna go blank now

Becks ah no, I know it but I only know it to sing it and I'm not going to sing it!

Presenter: laughing, was it cool?

Becks: Pretty cool

Presenter: yeah?

Becks: pretty cool, yeah

Presenter: Nothing to be ashamed of? Not a jive-bunny mega-mix?

Becks: No. You know, I can't think of the name of it

Presenter: Oh Jane you've stumped him

Becks: You have

Presenter: What was your first record Jane?

Jane: it was a very old one. It was a Slade record, How does it feel, not a very good one really

Presenter: Well David will have to give it a think and come back to you on that one

Becks: yeah I'm sorry Jane I'll have to think, sorry

Presenter: OK, Merry Christmas

Jane: Thank you

Presenter: Thank you. Staying on the subject of music Angie Buckle from Leeds wants to know if you could save only 1 CD from your collection in a fire which one would it be?

Becks: Spice Girls

Presenter: Good answer. We've got another of your music choices now Michael Jackson, PYT, why this track?

Becks: This is one of the tracks that always gets me up dancing. I love this song. I love Michael Jackson anyway. His music is incredible and again the boys love his stuff love the music. This is by far my favorite song from me and Victoria's songs and this is the only song that always really gets me up dancing

Presenter: Ok so if you want to see David shake his thang this is the thing to do it, Michael jackson PYT

Plays song nine, Becks selection, PYT (Pretty Young thing) - Michael Jackson

OK back to the phones now, we're going to go to Black country, this is Marie Astin.

Hi Marie, Merry Christmas.

Marie: Hey Merry Christmas

Presenter: Hi you're through to David what would you like to ask?

Marie: How are you?

Becks: Well thanks, how are you?

Marie: Very well thank you. I've got lots of tattoos and I think yours are amazing what was the inspiration, what made you have your first tattoo?

Becks: The first one, which was the Brooklyn on the lower back, I got just because I wanted soemthing that obviously was about my son . The inspiration is my family and just things that have happened in my life. There's always something that makes me have them done. I don't just walk into the tattoo place and just pick something out. I literally think about it and make sure it means something to me or my family just things that have happened in my life

Presenter: They're all benchmarks

Becks: Without a doubt. I wouldn't just have something on me for the sake of having it. I always have to have a reason and I've got a few

Presenter: It's not been a dull life he's led

Becks: NO (laughing)

Presenter: OK thank you very much marie

Becks: Thanks

Marie:Thanks Have a Merry Christmas

Becks: Merry Christmas

Marie:And to you

Presenter: OK we're going to Ben Clinch now. He's got a practical question for you David. Get ready for this. Hi there Ben,

Ben: Hi what I wanted to know is are you any good at DIY? Can you put a set of shelves up?

Becks: Do You know , I'm gonna keep it short, but I'm terrible at DIY

Presenter: have you tried?

Becks: I went through a stage where I thought I was great and I used to be in the DIY shops all the time

Presenter: When was this?

Becks: This was about 3 or 4 years ago and I've tried to put so many pictures up and you'll find about 10 different holes behind the picture frame so no I'm not good at DIY but it's always something that Victoria turns around to me and says, 'I wish you was good at DIY cos I really need that shelf putting up or I really need a mirror putting up, but I'm terrible.

Presenter: Man of many talents but DIY's not one of them. Thank you very much Ben

Becks: Thank you

Ben: Thanks very much. Bye.

Presenter: Michael McGowan is 8 years old and he's e-mailed in to say, 'Who is the most difficult opponent you've ever played against?'

Becks: Roberto Carlos. Without a doubt. To play against him he's one of the toughest opponents in the game. For me he's the best left back in the world and has been for many years. There are other great left-backs like Ashely Cole but for me Roberto Carlos is without a doubt, the best player and to be in the same team as him and to be arguing over free kick taking, was an honour for four years.

Presenter: Well there aren't many people that can say, well I just might be better than you

Becks: Yeah, it was always a running joke when we used to get awarded free kicks. Every free kick we used to just look at each other and smile cos we didn't know who was going to take it but whoever took it had a chance of scoring so he became one of my closest friends at Real Madrid

Presenter: And you're still in touch?

Becks: And we're still in touch. I spoke to him the other day.

Presenter: More music now. This ones been chosen for you by Agatha in Essex. Who seems to think it might have had a part to play in your meeting Victoria. This is The Spice Girls and Say You'll Be There.

Becks: I like this one

Plays Song 10, fan selection - Say You'll Be There - Spice Girls


Becks: Yeah that was the moment I was sat in my room with Gary Neville, who I was rooming with at the time, playing for England and the video came on and I was like I love that one with the bob. I'm going to marry her one day

Presenter: And shes still got the bob

Becks: Shes still got the bob shes got it back.

Presenter: Sharon Larkey from Liverpool sent us an e-mail asking 'Does Victoria make you learn all the lyrics to the Spice Girl's songs or do you just know them?'

Becks: Secretly I knew them when I first met her

Presenter: Did you?

Becks: She knows that now but she didn't up until this moment (laughs) I do. Obviously I love the spice Girls. I was a fan before I met my wife so she's going to think I was stalking her but ah..

Presenter: Ok I'm going to put your knowledge to the test because I'm going to give you a couple of Spice Girl's lyrics and let's see if you can continue them

Becks: Oh no

Presenter: OK the first lyric from a Spice Girl's song for you is "Free your mind of doubt and anger"

Becks: Ummm, I'm trying to sing it, umm "don't be a stranger?"

Presenter: close, we'll allow it, but it should be

Becks: Theres a few words before

Presenter: Yeah it should be, "be for real don't be a stranger'

Presenter: OK it's Christmas day I'll cut you some slack here's an easy one. "Tell me what you want, what you really really want"

Becks: Laughs, "So tell me what you want, what you really really want"

Presenter: Correct!

Presenter: Ok you're doing really well 1 out of 2 right

Becks: One and a half

Presenter: yeah ok one and a half. Ok the next one is "Slam it to the left if you're having a good time"

Becks: "Shake it to right if you know that I feel fine"

Presenter: Yeah!

Becks: close-ish

Presenter: Yeah this is how it should have sounded (plays part of song) not bad work there considering, attending all these Spice Girl's gigs around the globe has refreshed your memory beautifully.

Becks: one or two

Presenter: OK time to get back to the phones now. We have Simi Harris who's calling in. What would you like to know

Simi: Ok, it's a bit of a weird question but I wanted to know, if you were living in a parallel universe where you were a famous pop star and Victoria was a famous sports person. I wanted to know what sport would she be playing and what type of band or music would you be singing

Becks: Ahhh that's a really good question. Ummm I think I'd like to be like a hip hop RnB - like a Usher or a Justin Timberlake

Simi: Ok that's cool

Becks: If I had to be in a band maybe it would have to be U2.

Presenter: Bono?

Becks: Bono without a doubt. I'm a huge fan of Bono and U2 so that would be my side but Victoria's side I don't know

Presenter: Well I know you put her in goal a lot at home. How does she fare there?

Becks: Well she doesn't really have a choice there. The boys all just tell her to go in goal and then kick balls at her ummm so I'm not sure.

Presenter: Well it sounds quite cruel

Becks: Well... I don't kick balls at her...

Presenter: Good

Becks: So goalkeeper? I don't know she's not great at goalkeeping but umm I don't know. I'll have to say lacrosse

Presenter: Lacrosse?

Becks: I don't know why

Presenter: Well it's stylish and she'd look good

Becks: yeah the outfits are good

Presenter: There you go. Does that answer your question?

Simi: Yes. Perhaps she could be in St Trinnians or something

Becks: Yeah that would be good

Presenter: perhaps your Christmas wishes are about to come true David. OK Simi thanks for your call

Becks: Thanks. Good Question! Bye.

Simi: Thanks Bye

Presenter: Now we're going to move on from outfits and lacrosse

Becks: I should have said Croquet

Presenter: croquet, yeah... but not such good outfits though

Becks: no but its...

Presenter: And Victoria could play lacrosse in heels you have to be sensitive to her fashion needs

Becks: Well that's true


Presenter: Ok we're going to another track now this has been chosen for you by George Stephenson and also by Sean Hayden from Berkshire. George says this song befits you because you're a shining example of a good footballer one of the best in history. It's Shine by Take That

Play song 11, fan selection, Shine - Take That

Presenter: Now we have Sue Steele calling from Manchester an old stomping ground of yours. Hi Sue

Sue: Hello there.

Presenter: Merry Christmas you're through to David

Sue: Merry Christmas. Hello David

Becks: Hi Sue, Merry Christmas

Sue: My girlfriend Hannah has has a dream of playing for and captaining Manchester United since the age of 10. What do you think about ladies football and do you think it will ever become as big as the mens game?

Becks: I've always supported Womens football and girls football. I think it's soemthing that I always wanted at the academy as well you know boys and girls are all welcome and we get so many girls that go down to the Academy and so many girls that are so talented. Now living in America and seeing some of the talent over there with the girls soccer. I think it's incredible and there are so many girls out there that have got so much talent but you know the football in America for women is huge.

Presenter: Much bigger than here.

Becks: Yeah, it's much bigger than here. So I don't know, you know. I think theres definitely a possibility of womens football growing. I'm not sure it will be as big as mens football but it's important to grow because there's a lot of girls out there who wanna play football at a higher level and why not like you said and I think it's important for girls to do what they want

Presenter: Thank you very much Sue. I hope that answers your question and wish Hannah the very best from both of us too

Becks: Yes. good luck.

Sue: Thanks. Merry Christmas everybody. Bye

Presenter: Up next on the phone is Sam, now Sam you're heading Stateside am I right?

Sam: Yeah, hi there

Presenter: Explain your situation to David

Sam: I play for Newcastle United womens and in the Summer I'm going on a four year scholarship to University in the States

Becks: Great. Where abouts?

Sam: I'm not quite sure yet but I've been told it may be South carolina or may be New York

Becks: Great. Well you'll love that cos I don't know if you just heard me on the last caller but womens football in the US is so big. Almost as big as the mens football and I think there's so many chances to become a better player and also a bigger player and I think it's going to be a great move for you

Presenter: And you also play number 7 don't you?

Sam: Yeah I'm number 7. I play on the right-wing too

Becks: Oh really. Perfect

Presenter: How do you fancy your chances against david on the pitch

Sam: Umm. Not very good

Becks: I'm sure you'll be quicker than me anyway



Presenter: OK let's take one more call on this subject. We've got on the line Georgia Griffith who's 11 years old. She lives in Birmingham and she wants to talk football.

Presenter: Hi Georgia you're through to David Beckham. What's your question?

Georgia: Well it's football and I want to make football my career and I want to play for my country like he does but because football for girls in the UK isn't that big I want to see how I can achieve my goal and eventaully play against the best players in the USA

Becks: You know of course you should carry on playing here but if you do get the chance, it's great for experience to go to different countries and to play and if you do get the chance to go to the US, football is so big over there for women, it can only help your game

Presenter: Good luck with it

Becks: Yeah, good luck Georgia you sound really determined

Georgia: Yeah cos I'm captain for Westham Albion under 12's and we're top of the league and we haven't lost a game all season yet... I've scored 34 goals so far this season

Becks: Really, you're doing great!

Presenter: How many goals did you score in a season

Becks: I'm not sure I've scored that many in my career.Ummm but you know it sounds great and you really do sound determined so you've got to believe in yourself and don't let anything stop you from believing in your dream and go for that

Presenter: Well Thank you for your time Georgia and very good luck for whatever comes next for your football

Georgia: Thanks

Presenter: OK time to get back to the music now. Now David you might be interested to know this was by far the most requested track when it came to songs people associated with you. It's all about the great British fighting spirit. Do you know this track it's chumbawumba - Tub thumping?

Becks: No.

Presenter: Oh well listen to the lyrics it will all make sens.e

Becks: OK

Play song 11, fan selection, Tubthumping - Chumbawumba

Presenter: Now we're going to take some more calls. This is Chris day, Chris you're through to David

Chris: Hello David, Hello Kate, Merry Christmas to you. David you're seen all over the world as a bit of a gay icon. How does this sort of make you feel and what qualities in your career sort of reflects your broad appeal?

Becks: Merry Christmas. Good question. I'm very honoured to be a gay icon. I'm a person that kids look up to, things like that, so I'm very proud to have the tag of, like you say, gay icon, so throughout my career its been great to have things like that. For me it's an incredible honor. Things about me? I really don't know. I think it's better for other people to say things like that but I don't know maybe it's that I like to look after myself. I like to look smart, look presentable most of the time. I don't know maybe there's that

Presenter: Why do you think David is a gay icon Chris?

Chris: I think it's for those reasons. You always look good David, you're always well turned out. Immaculate, and I think you're a great sort of role model for boys and men all over the world and I think it's great in this day and age of you know, what's going on with the world, to have someone to look up to. I was going to say, I think your look and fashion style is kind of legendary now isn't it?

Becks: Thank you for that. It means a lot.

Presenter: It must make getting dressed in the morning a bit pressured though?

Becks: You know it doesn't really take much to get me dressed in the morning though. I'm literally, in America, I'm just shorts, T-shirt, flip-flops so it's just aaah... I must admit though if Victoria's listening, she'll probably turn round and say the truth which is that I actually get my outfit ready the night before. Presenter: Do you?

Becks: yeah I do

Presenter: Is that because you're organised, a bit kind of controlled

Becks: I'm very organised and very controlled. I need to go to bed at night knowing what I'm going to wear the next morning

Presenter: yeah?

Becks: yeah

Presenter: Well I guess that reflects your state of mind. Thank you very much for your call Chris

Becks: Merry Christmas

Presenter: Now we've had loads of technical questions in from football fans around the world actually. Loads from China, but this was one of the best I thought. This one is from Rhianne from London. She wants to know, 'At Real madrid when you take a free kick, it wasn't always obvious from watching what signal you and Roberto gave each other to show which of you had decided to take it. So she wants to know, did you have a secret signal and what was it and also when he did a pretend run-up to take a free kick and you took it, shes worried it was putting you off and that you didn't know the spanish for - "you're putting me off" or you didn't want to hurt his feelings.

Becks: (laughing) Me and Roberto hit it off from the word go even when we used to play against each other we used to have a good laugh but in the free kicks we always knew who was gonna take it and... I hope he wasn't just running up to put me off I don't think he was anyway ...

Presenter: That wouldn't be teamwork

Becks: No... but it was just an honor to stand next to him while he took a free kick

Presenter: Well that answers that one nicely. Oh and is it true that you used to work as a glass collector at Walthamstow Dogs?

Becks: Yeah I used to. I was a pot boy and at the end of the night we used to all sit up there and eat chips and mayonnaise

Presenter: Nice

Becks: Yeah that was a treat

Presenter: healthy

Becks: I don't eat that anymore but

Presenter: Do you remember what you used to earn an hour down there?

Becks: An hour? I haven't got a clue. I used to work down there for three hours and get something like... I couldn't even tell you now... it was pretty good.

Presenter: Yeah?

Becks: It was pretty good

Presenter: Lots of other football related questions, one of which has been asked many times is, 'What's your favorite terrace chant'

Becks: I've had a few sung about me. I've had a few sung about my wife - which none of them was my favourite

Presenter: No

Becks: Funnily enough

Presenter: It must be very hard to swallow your anger when you hear nasty things being said about someone you love?

Becks: Oh without a doubt that is one tough thing that you have to take but it's all part of the game these days you have to be able to take that.

I think the one Man United fans used to always sing was "there's only one David Beckham". I think that for me is a great one.

Presenter: Well there's only one David Beckham of that there can be no doubt but there's plenty of World Cup anthems for us to choose from. I would suggest that this next suggestion is "the" world cup anthem. From the 1990 World Cup featuring a now ballroom dancing John Barnes on rap duty, this is World in motion

Plays song 12, fan selection, World in Motion - New Order

Presenter: I've got Hayleyon the line with a question for you David

Becks: Hi Hayley

Hayley: Hi David I just wanted to ask you if you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?

Becks: Pie and Mash. Pie, Mash and Liquor

Hayley: Brilliant. A good British London meal

Becks: Yep a good Eastend meal I'd have to go with that

Presenter: Thanks very much Hayley

Hayley: Merry Christmas David and to your family

Becks: And to you, have a good one

Presenter: Staying true to your roots there, I like that.

Becks: Of course

Presenter: Liquor is of course that green stuff right?

Becks: It is the green stuff and jellied eels hmmmm

Presenter: You like that?

Becks: I love that

Presenter: You get that in the States?

Becks: No but I've heard a rumor that there's one store that sells it in Santa Barbara but I'm not sure. I haven't found it yet.

Presenter: Let's go to Shelley now who's in Devon. Merry Christmas, you're through to David

Shelley: Hi David, Merry Christmas

Becks: Merry Christmas to you too

Shelley: have you always had a keen sense of style or has Victoria been instrumental in shaping your fashion sense

Becks: Without a doubt Victoria's had a huge part in the way I look these days. I think probably most couples agree that you have to listen to your partner and you've got confidence in your partner to tell you whether you look good or whether you don't and help you out with your fashion and with your dress sense but I always like to look good even when I was a little kid. You know I was given the option when I was a page-boy once of either wearing a suit or wearing knickerbockers and long socks and ballet shoes and I chose the ballet shoes and the knickerbockers, so it was a little bit strange at the time and my dad gave me a little bit of stick but I was happy.

Presenter: Ok I hope that answers your question. Thanks for your call

Shelley: Thanks Bye-bye.

Becks: Thank you, merry Christmas.

Presenter: OK now get ready David for something a little bit different. Here's another familiar voice with his own contribution to today's radio 2 Line of Enquiry. It's Radio 2's very own Chris Evans

Chris: Hello David. Happy Christmas to you and to all the family and congratulations on all your success and good luck with anything you may do in the future and good luck with answering this festive questive (question) Out of all the shirts that you've got which is the most important one. The last one you would ever sell? If you had to sell them?

Becks: Thank you Chris. Umm I think it would have to be my debut for Manchester United shirt. I think that shirt will always be pride of place in my snooker room but I've been lucky in my career to swap shirts and had shirts given to me and shirts that I've worn. So there are many shirts where I would never give them away. Never sell them. All of my shirts I'd never sell. European Cup winning shirt, my first England captain shirt, the Argentina shirt in '98 and in 2002 when I scored the penalty. You know shirts that I've got like Maradonnas, Gazzas so many great players, Zidanes, Ronaldos, so there are so many shirts that I've got that I definitely wouldn't give away, but the one that I would always keep is the Man United debut.

Presenter: Those shirts all represent a very special moment in time for you and this next track has been chosen for you David because it does exactly that for the gentleman who called in to suggest it. His name is John Hargreaves and hes from Lancashire and he said, "I have to hear this song played on the grounds that I was there on that magical night in 1999. It was the greatest night of my life so far. Do you remember that match?

Becks: I do it was a very very memorable moment.

Presenter: This is Freddie Mercury and Monserrat Caballe with Barcelona

Becks: Love that

Play song fourteen, fan selection, Barcelona - Freddie Mercury and Monserrat Caballe

Presenter: We're running out of time, it's time to go to the last of our calls which comes from Manchester. How fitting, James Hall. Hi James

James: Hi David

Becks: Hi James, merry Christmas to you

Presenter: What's your question James?

James: My question is, David being an icon that you are, I'm sure there are many times you get approached going out, what's the most outrageous think you've ever been asked for or received in lieu of an autograph

Presenter: That's a good one

James: And if it was a bottle of Veuve Clicquot here in manchester, then I do apologise

Presenter: Was that you

James: No but it was my little brother

Becks: I must admit I've signed many things obviously in my career. I don't know theres so many things that I've signed. Obviously there's shirts, balls, boots

James: Anything that stuck out in your mind where you thought, ooh wish I'd not done that?

Presenter: Body parts?

Becks: I've signed the odd leg or arm

Presenter: Ok well let's not go here instead, what wouldn't you sign?

Becks: What wouldn't I sign? Well there's a few things I wouldn't sign of course. Ummm I don't know, theres so many things I've signed. I signed a baseball the other day which was different. I don't know what the weirdest thign I've signed is

Presenter: Well perhaps it's yet to come

Becks: I'm sure it is

Presenter: Well thank you very much. Merry Christmas to you and all of manchester

Becks: Merry Christmas

Presenter: You talk there about signing baseballs. Baseball is obviously the sport of America which is now your home. How difficult decision was it deciding to upheave the family once more time and head Sataeside

Becks: It was a difficult decison because I knew once that I'd made the decision of moving to the US that I wouldn't be playing at the level I'd played at for many years and I would be stepping out of that playing in the premiership and playing in la liga and I was aware of that I was aware that the level is lower in the US than it is, obviously is in Europe but I think it was a challenge that I knew that I had to take and knew that I wanted to take. I'd played for one of the biggest clubs in the world with manchester United in England and I'd played for one of the biggest clubs in the world in Spain with Real Madrid and I felt that I needed to move on from there. I'd had other offers from Italian clubs, you know two of the biggest Italian clubs ummm but I just felt that as a family it was a move that family-wise it would be great and also football wise because I knew that it would be a new challenge and it was something that I wanted to do. I wanted to make a difference and ake an impact in MLS, that's why I made the decision. It's one that I'm really enjoying, it's been frustrating at times because obviously I've been injured

Presenter: Almost from the moment you got there really

Becks: Yeah, which has been tough but I think also you know I've always said that I want to carry on playing for England as well and if I can carry on playing obviously in the MLS and also for England, then that's what I want to do

Presenter: You're one cap away from 100 England caps

Becks: I know

Presenter: Do you think you're going to get to realise that under the new England regime?

Becks: I hope so. You know I've played under Fabio Capello before and hes one of the best managers I've played under. There were a lot of things that happened at the time, in that last year for me at Real Madrid but you know for me Fabio Capello is one of the managers that a lot of players look up to and a lot of players want for him to manage them so I'm hoping I'll be part of his plans.

There were ups and downs with me and the manager at the time but he brought me back into the team and he had belief in me to put me back in ... It gave me an amazing end and I was sad when he got the sack as I believe that he turned the club around and the players around and given the Real Madrid fans what they deserved, which was a trophy.

I think he is a great appointment for England. Everyone wants someone leading you that has respect and success. He has definitely got that in his career."

Presenter: Well I hope that he keeps your air miles building

Becks: I hope so too. I hope so, we'll see

Presenter: And the jet-lag raging. My goodness, I don't know how you do it. So the final track is another one of your choices and this gentleman played at one of your parties before an untimely death.

Becks: Yeah, He was a big inspiration to me and to many people all around the world and obviously sad for him to pass away this last year but I was honoured for him to be able to perform at our house and at our party and obviously, like I said, it was an incredible honor, so enjoy this track, it's one of my favorites, so enjoy!

Play Final track of the show, Becks selection, Living In America - James Brown

Presenter: James Brown, Living in America which is precisely what you are doing now. David thank you so much for coming back and taking our questions today. We miss you in the UK and I hope that one day we see a Beckham return.

Becks: One day we'll be back here, of course. This is our home, this is where our family are from. It's where our main house is. You know we miss London, We miss England, but thank you for having me on today it's been a pleasure and have a nice Christmas

Presenter: You too Merry Christmas to you

Becks: Merry Christmas to you.