It was always going to be difficult, no matter what I'd set up, no matter how many children I have got to take my mind off things. There was always going to be a moment when I finished playing, that I was going to find tough.
— David Beckham
Being hardworking is the best thing you can show children.
I don't do anything unless I can give it 100%.
People just assume, over the years, that soccer players are not too intelligent. As with most assumptions, they're wrong.
Whatever I do, I want to be the best.
On the fragrance side, I think it's important that it's not overpowering, a fragrance on a man or a woman. I think it's important to see the person before you smell them. Less is more.
It's so important to have manners and treat people from all walks of life the way they should be treated.
I'm not one of those people who is not looking forward to getting old. I'm happy with my life.
Football's the biggest game in the world. America's the greatest sporting nation there is. To play some part in putting those two things together: why wouldn't I be excited about that?
No one's ever really given me any style advice. I wear what I want, and it doesn't matter what other people think.
At the end of the day, I'm a footballer who has played at some of the biggest football clubs in the world and played with some of the best players in the world.
I always wanted kids I could take to work, and for them to experience the things I experience. So, having three boys as a footballer was a dream.
Two of my boys are Manchester United fans; one is an Arsenal fan. Whenever there is a game I can take the boys to, I love taking them.
I feel this pang of regret whenever I watch sport; this sense that I will never play a big match again.
I don't have time for hobbies. At the end of the day, I treat my job as a hobby. It's something I love doing.
It's one thing I like about America - they respect the sportsman. They put them up on a pedestal. They don't try to knock them down. And that's a great thing, to be respected by the whole country. It's so patriotic!
I always wanted to be a hairdresser.
There are certain battles that you pick. When they're not worth picking, they're laughable stories.
I always say that practice gets you to the top most of the time.
In my career, there's many things I've won and many things I've achieved, but for me, my greatest achievement is my children and my family. It's about being a good father, a good husband, just being connected to family as much as possible.
At the end of the day, I'm very lucky to have what I have and do what I do, but I don't see myself as any different from anyone else who works hard and is a dad and a husband.
I don't know whether it's the athlete in me or the passion I have for the game: I always think that I can step back on the field and play.
I don't regret anything, but that doesn't mean that I don't look back and think, 'What was I thinking?'
You start realising as you get older that there are some kids who don't know who you are.
I've got my wife. I've got my four kids. I've got parents, grandparents still, and three really good friends. It's all you need. I'd rather have three really good friends than 20 good friends.
Some men over-tweeze their eyebrows, and it's just too perfect. Men are meant to have kind of a bushy brow. Too much aftershave is also off-putting; it's one of my pet hates.
Rosewood has always been one of my favourite scents, as has the pink grapefruit and pepper we've also put in Homme.
I just want people to see me as a hard-working footballer and someone who is passionate about the game.
When I was a kid, I thought my dad was a little bit harsh with me at times. Sometimes I needed an arm around me instead of my dad telling me what I did wrong, but it obviously worked.
I remember how inspiring it was to meet players like Bobby Charlton or Bryan Robson when I was a kid. I still remember Clive Allen showing up when I received a trophy for my Sunday league team.
I can't get through some movies without shedding a tear; I can't lie.
I respect all religions, but I'm not a deeply religious person. But I try and live life in the right way, respecting other people. I wasn't brought up in a religious way, but I believe there's something out there that looks after you.
I think the most important goal I scored in Spain was the first one because people were wary about me coming over to Spain as a player - they thought I was just there to sell shirts.
I'm a strong person, I'm a strong family man, I'm a strong husband and a strong father.
I've never seen myself as a celebrity, but I see it in a positive way, the fact that people are still interested in most parts of my life.
I've seen the growth of this game in this country, the stadiums that were built, the great European players that have come and the great American players who've been created. Americans want to be number one at everything. And they are at baseball, football, basketball. Soccer is growing fast, and I want to be a part of that.
My grandparents - my mom's parents - they're Jewish. But nobody ever pushed religion onto us. It wasn't something I ever grew up with.
I never do anything half-heartedly. I will continue to work hard and play hard and do everything I can to be successful, whatever I do.
My parents were always very strict, and they gave me the right beliefs in how to treat people. It was very strict and all about morals - I try to pass that on to my own children.
That was my way of getting through difficult times of low confidence - hard work.
When you get older, you mature, and you start liking flowers. Although I try and keep it manly.
I've got friends in the different teams I've played for, but family is the most important thing to me. That will always be the case.
I love a nice tailored suit, but I also like to dress down. It all depends on what mood I'm in.
I've played under some of the biggest and best managers and achieved almost everything in football. Of course it hurts when people question it, but I've come to the end of my career and can look back and say I've achieved everything with every club that I've played for.
Over the years, when I've seen players retire, when you ask them about it, they always say you'll know when you're ready, and I think I know when I'm ready. I think I'm ready.
I'm used to being around kids. Even when I was growing up in London, I had an older sister, I had a younger sister that I used to look after from time to time.
I don't regret the decision to retire. My body was losing its edge. I was taking longer to recover from injuries. You have to get out at some point.
I would never complain about the position I'm in or the attention I get. At the end of the day, I'm very lucky to have what I have and do what I do, but I don't see myself as any different from anyone else who works hard and is a dad and a husband.
I'll never forget where I'm from, never forget my roots. It doesn't matter where I live. I'm English, simple as that.
As a footballer, you always want to test yourself against the best.
