David Beckham at 46 - still bending it like before

NEARLY nine years have passed since David Beckham hung up his football boots at the age of 38, bringing the curtain down on a trophy-laden 20-year professional career that brought him league championships in England, Spain, the United States and France.

The 46-year-old former England captain - known for his crossing ability and curling free kicks - has remained in the limelight ever since.

His last name is still one of the most recognised in global sport. His Instagram page has more than 68.9 million followers and counting, and that is where he frequently posts snaps of his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria, and their four children aged between 10 and 22.

Some estimates place Beckham's current net worth at a staggering US$450 million. Over the years, he's endorsed everything from premium whisky to video games and fast cars.

He's also a co-owner of Florida-based football club Inter Miami, which has his 19-year-old son Romeo on its roster.

Beckham is also a global ambassador for life insurer AIA, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. He recently attended his first taiji class by a grand master, as part of the AIA Live in Singapore virtual event that was held ahead of World Mental Health Day on Sunday (Oct 10).

The hour-long session also featured a question-and-answer segment where Beckham talked about his approach to physical and mental health, his favourite moment in his football career, as well as his must-have dish whenever he visits Singapore.

He also answered questions by The Business Times over email. This is an edited excerpt of the exchange with the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

What made you decide to try taiji, a centuries-old Chinese martial art?

Something I like to do is to mix it up and try new things. I've been going back and forth to Asia for over 20 years, and I've seen so many people of all ages practice taiji in different spaces, whether it's at the park, the hotel or at home.

Personally, I've always wanted to try it and I must admit, it's exactly what I thought it would be like. I enjoyed the flow and sense of calm while doing it and felt great after taking part.

It's been almost a decade since you last played football competitively. How do you keep fit?

Following a healthy and nutritious diet and making sure I have enough sleep really helps to keep me energised during busy periods.

I enjoy cooking fresh and healthy meals for the family. I like to work out in the morning - it sets me up for the day and helps focus my mind on what I have coming up.

Exercise has always been a huge part of my life and since retiring from playing football, health and fitness have continued to be very important to me.

I like mixing up my workouts and doing functional training. I also run and during the various lockdowns last year, I spent a lot of time going on long walks in the countryside with my wife and kids and our dogs.

What's your training regime like these days?

It has obviously changed over the years. When I was 20, as a professional footballer at the highest level, the training intensity was pretty high.

When I turned 30, I would take 10 to 15 free kicks a day in training, instead of at least 30 previously. I realised I shouldn't be doing as many as before, because your body changes and you have to look after yourself in different ways.

Now that I'm 46, I also have to change the way I do my workouts, make sure I'm doing the right things and do a lot of stretching, which is all very important.

If there was one career-defining moment that you could relive, what would that be?

It's hard to answer that, because there are quite a few of those! But I would have to single out the treble-winning season (with Manchester United) in 1999.

There was an 11-day spell at the end which not many players will get to experience. We won the Premier League trophy at home (at Old Trafford) on the final day, and I scored a goal too (in a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur), which was nice.

A week later, we got to play in the FA Cup final (against Newcastle at Wembley), which traditionally is huge in England, and we won that. A few days after that, we won the European Cup final (by defeating Bayern Munich in Barcelona). It was exceptional.

You've been to Singapore many times in the past. What's the one dish you must always eat when you're in town?

First, let me say I love Singapore so much and I cannot wait to travel there again. It's the one place where I go and there's all this great food. At the markets, there are lots of variety and so much colour.

I will say the one dish that I must have is chilli crab. It's just incredible. It's hard to explain how good it really is. That's what I have to get straight away whenever I visit.