PR-savvy and now finally a knight - Beckham always knew how to turn on the charm

A sporting icon courted by premier ministers past and present, recently knighted Sir David Beckham is renowned for being highly media savvy.

Never much truthful than erstwhile I interviewed him for Sky News astatine the 2008 Beijing Olympics, aft helium took portion successful the closing ceremonial having played a cardinal relation successful London's winning bid to big the 2012 Games.

Speaking astir Sir Alex Ferguson successful the interview, canny Sir Becks heaped praise connected his aged brag successful our interview. But he'd been little complimentary astir his aged brag successful a speech with premier curate Gordon Brown, I aboriginal learned.

I'd travelled to Beijing with Mr Brown, via Afghanistan, and we spent the last evening of the Games astatine the handover party, erstwhile Boris Johnson - past London politician - famously spoke successful his code astir "wiff waff" (table tennis) coming home.

During his Beijing visit, Mr Brown had been promoting the thought of a Great Britain shot squad competing astatine the 2012 Games and determination was speculation astir Sir Alex being the team's coach.

"Aah, Sir Alex," Becks said wistfully and seemingly affectionately erstwhile I asked him astir being re-united with his erstwhile Manchester United manager during the interview. "Like a begetter to me."

Later, connected the formation location to the UK, erstwhile I told Gordon Brown astir the interview, the premier curate laughed. "That's funny," helium said.

"Why?" I asked him.

He replied: "He told maine 'If Sir Alex is manager, helium won't prime me!'"

Beckham played for Fergie astatine Manchester United from 1995 until 2003, erstwhile helium joined Real Madrid amid claims that Ferguson disapproved of the player's showbiz lifestyle.

By 2008 helium was playing for LA Galaxy successful the US.

But contempt his canny, PR-savvy answers successful my interview, I saw him enactment the country that nighttime successful Beijing and glad-hand relentlessly.

He gave each interrogation asked of him and turned connected the charm connected behalf of UK PLC to everyone present.

For politicians and premier ministers, sportsmen and women similar Beckham are axenic gold. David Cameron was besides a instrumentality and was photographed sitting alongside Becks astatine the London Games.

When "Goldenballs", arsenic woman Victoria called him, retired from shot a twelvemonth later, a No 10 spokesperson gushed: "The premier minister's presumption is that David Beckham has been an outstanding footballer passim his career.

"But not lone that, helium has been a superb ambassador for this country, not slightest if we retrieve each the enactment helium did connected helping america triumph London 2012."

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There was so a Great Britain men's shot squad astatine the Olympics, but it was coached by erstwhile England fable Stuart Pearce, not Sir Alex.

And Pearce, nicknamed "psycho" for his assertive benignant connected the pitch, didn't prime Becks either, though helium claimed he'd faced unit from Downing Street to see him.

Then successful 2017, David Cameron's erstwhile rotation doc Craig Oliver claimed a elder Tory furniture curate - thought to person been George Osborne - suggested giving Becks a peerage and appointing him sports curate successful a 2013 furniture reshuffle.

That ne'er happened either, obviously, though astatine slightest now David Beckham is besides a knight - conscionable similar his "father figure" Sir Alex.