My role model is David Bechkam

David is not only an icon, but a brilliant role model for children.And I really like her. His achievements on the football field are extraordinary: he is England's most capped outfield player of all time, having played 115 times, was the first British player to star in 100 Champions League games and captained his country for six years.

But it was the manner in which he played that marked him out: his sheer will to win.
After being sent off for barely touching Argentine Diego Simeone during the 1998 World Cup, he was vilified to such an extent that effigies of him were hanged from lamp posts.

But his determination caused a Phoenix like rising and he was completely exonerated – in fact, elevated to hero status – when he single-handedly dragged England to the 2002 World Cup finals with a last gasp free kick after a match in which he covered every blade of grass.

It's easy to dismiss Becks as a manufactured brand, but there is far more substance behind the man than what's barely hiding in his underpants in those embarrassing ads.
He is a UNICEF ambassador, a patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and, of course, played an instrumental part in securing the Olympics for London 2012.

And if that ain't enough role model-ness for you, then how about the fact that after he retirement he revelled in being a housedad to Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper who – despite their millions – he insists on keeping their feet on the ground by earning their own way in the world.
Becks, we salute you!