David Beckham has responded to claims on the front page of The Sun which suggested he’d involved himself in charity work with the intention of getting a knighthood.
According to so-called hacked emails from as far back as 2013 - acquired by Football Leaks, the sport equivalent of WikiLeaks - Beckham was reportedly furious to have missed out on a knighthood, despite his past work with Unicef.
The Sun also claimed he’d blasted the committee in charge of the honours system in the messages in questions, though the man himself has now addressed these reports, insisting the emails were “hacked and doctored” to “deliberately” paint him in an unfavourable light.
A spokesperson for Beckham has said, in a lengthy statement (via Digital Spy): “This story is based on outdated material taken out of context from hacked and doctored private emails from a third party server and gives a deliberately inaccurate picture.
“David Beckham and Unicef have had a powerful partnership in support of children for over 15 years. The David Beckham 7 Fund specifically has raised millions of pounds and helped millions of vulnerable children around the world. David Beckham has given significant time and energy and has made personal financial donations to the 7 Fund and this commitment will continue long term.
“Before establishing the 7 Fund, David had supported Unicef and a number of other charities over many years, including donating his entire earnings from PSG during his time playing there.
“David and Unicef are rightly proud of what they have and will continue to achieve together and are happy to let the facts speak for themselves.”
Beckham has served as an ambassador for Unicef since 2005, launching 7: The David Beckham Unicef Fund 10 years into their partnership, which specifically aims to help children who are in danger.
Way back in 2003, David was made an OBE for his services to football by the Queen, the same that year that he moved from Manchester United to play for Real Madrid.