David Beckham is cast away on a mythical desert island. He is given the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible - then chooses eight songs, a book and a luxury to take with him. He explains his choices and discusses key moments in his life, and the people and events that have influenced and inspired him and brought him where he is today.

David Beckham is the only English professional footballer to win the league titles in his homeland, Spain, the USA and France. He spent much of his career as a midfielder for Manchester United, winning the Treble – Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League - in 1999, before moving to Real Madrid in 2003. He headed to the US to play for LA Galaxy in 2007, and ended his career at Paris Saint-Germain in 2013, retiring in May that year.

Born and raised in east London, David Beckham discovered football early and spent hours kicking a ball around at the local park with his father. At the age of seven, he played for his first team, Ridgeway Rovers, before coming to the attention of Manchester United while attending the Bobby Charlton Soccer School. He became a trainee with Manchester United in 1991, and progressed to make 265 first team appearances, winning the Premier League six times, the FA Cup twice and the UEFA Champions League once. He played for England from 1996 to 2009 and captained the side for six years.

He has been married to Victoria Adams – who first found fame as Posh from the Spice Girls – since 1999, and they have four children. Since retiring from professional football in 2013, David has spent more time on his work with the charity Unicef which he has supported since 2005.

In this interview, he reflects the role his parents played in giving him opportunities from a young age, his early years at Manchester United, the successes and subsequent conflicts with team manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and the difficulties he faced on his return to England after he was sent off in a vital match in the 1998 World Cup. He also reveals how he and his wife Victoria first met and dated, and remembers – with some amusement – their very lavish wedding, in which his outfit included a purple top hat.

Desert Island Discs was first broadcast in the UK in 1942. This programme marks its 75th anniversary.

(Photo: Professional soccer player David Beckham, 2016. Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images) Show less