Sir David Beckham makes heartbreaking retirement admission just days after receiving knighthood

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Sir David Beckham has admitted he still misses his playing - 12 years after hanging up his boots. The England and Manchester United icon, 50, has been knighted for his services to sport and charity, receiving his gong from King Charles at Windsor Castle earlier this month.

Beckham enjoyed one of the most legendary careers in English football, winning a host of honours with United, including the Treble in 1999. Spells at Real Madrid , LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain followed before he finally called time on his playing career in his late 30s.

He is now a co-owner at MLS side Inter Miami and League Two club Salford City, while also enjoying great commercial success as one of the most recognisable faces on the planet. However, he insists his post-playing fame still doesn’t replace the buzz of pulling the boots on, which he still misses immensely.

He told People: “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.”

Nevertheless, Beckham was honoured to receive his knighthood from the King for his services to sport and charity, calling it 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.”

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He added that it was a “huge honour” to be recognised for both his sporting career and for the philanthropic work he has done since he was “probably 17.”

Speaking about his drive, Sir David said he realised early on that people listen to him and that that was a “powerful tool” in the world of charity.

“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.”

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.