There’s something about David Beckham. He’s ridiculously gorgeous, but none of it has gone to his head. He’s a committed family man and his favorite person in the world is still his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria. She’s one lucky lady! In celebration of his birthday, here are 10 things you didn’t know about the former soccer pro:
10. Huge Fan
Growing up, his parents and his two sisters were ardent fans of Manchester United.
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9. High Earner
In 2013, he was named the highest earner in British sport, with a reported salary of $46 million.
Photo by Archie Andrews/ABACAPRESS.COM
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8. Sex Symbol Status
While many of us have accepted his sex symbol status, one person hasn’t — his mom. She isn’t very comfortable with the billboards that feature her son in his underwear.
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7. Meant To Be
Before he and Victoria met, they knew they wanted to be together. “My wife picked me out of a soccer sticker book. And I chose her off the telly… It felt straight away like we’d always been meant to be together,” he said.
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6. Endorsements
He has a lifetime contract with Adidas for $160 million. His other endorsements have included Armani, Breitling, H&M, Diet Coke, Burger King and Samsung.
Photo by Beretta/Sims / Rex Features
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5. Seriously Talented
He left home at 16 to play for the training division of the Manchester United and he joined Manchester United. He played in the starting lineup two years later.
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4. Humble Beginnings
He grew up in a working class family in East London. His father was an appliance repairman and his mother was a hair stylist.
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3. OCD
He suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). “I’ve got this obsessive compulsive disorder where I have to have everything in a straight line or everything has to be in pairs. I’ll put my Pepsi cans in the fridge and if there’s one too many then I’ll put it in another cupboard somewhere,” he said. “I’ll go into a hotel room and before I can relax, I have to move all the leaflets and all the books and put them in a drawer. Everything has to be perfect.”
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2. A Little Emotional
He’s prone to crying. The movie Armageddon causes him to cry every time, but so do television shows like The Office and Friends.
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1. Strange Habits
He has admitted to wearing Victoria’s nail polish and underwear.