Thursday marked the second meeting in a week for David Beckham and Gordon Brown, as the LA Galaxy footballer gave the British prime minister a tour of his football academy in Greenwich, South London. The pair, who had enjoyed a private tete a tete at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday, have clearly bonded over their love of the beautiful game.
Mr Brown, a lifelong fan of Scottish team Raith Rovers, watched as Becks took 120 children through their paces on the pitch, and was clearly impressed by the England midfielder's achievements with his youth project.
"I want to see what goes on here having an influence in every part of the country," enthused the Labour leader. "You don't have to be brilliant at sport to benefit from this, and you can see what the kids are taking in about nutrition, diet and fitness."
The former England captain, who was presented with a copy of Mr Brown's book on courage, said he was "incredibly proud to have the prime minister visit and recognise the success of the academy". The David Beckham Academy is set to run pilot schemes in the Midlands, the North West and Western England, with coaches trained at the Greenwich centre going into local educational establishments. "This fits in very well with our ideas about five hours of sport a week in schools," added Mr Brown.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
