Beckham: I´m named after Charlton

David Beckham has revealed one of his middle names was given to him due to his father’s admiration for Manchester United great Bobby Charlton.

United hero Charlton, the club’s second highest appearance maker, is set to be honoured this weekend when the southern stand at Old Trafford is named after the European Cup winner.

Charlton was a survivor of the 1958 Munich air disaster and held the record for appearances made for United until Ryan Giggs overtook him.

The ex-forward was a favourite of Beckham’s father Ted, and the former Untied winger praised Charlton’s influence on himself and other youngsters at the club during his time at Old Trafford.  

“I was lucky enough to meet him when I went to the Bobby Charlton Soccer School at the age of 10 when I first came here, and I won it when I was 11,” Beckham told MUTV.

“It was a dream to meet him because he was my dad’s favourite player and my middle name Robert is after Sir Bobby!

“He would always try to help the young players. When you play for a club and you have ex-players that come and talk to you that are involved with the team, it means a lot.

“But when you have Sir Bobby Charlton come up to you and say well done or this is how you can do something better or this is how you represent the club, it means something.

“It means so much when you have someone of that stature and with that experience who is a legend at the club you support. He means so much to so many people, especially to Manchester United fans and England fans.”