David Beckham pays tribute to Paris terror attack victims as football unites in UNICEF tie

David Beckham paid tribute to Paris terror victims following UNICEF charity match at Old Trafford

IT was a family affair for David Beckham on his return to Old Trafford as he was substituted - for his son Brooklyn.

 

Beckham captained a Great Britain and Ireland XI that beat a Rest of the World XI 3-1 at Old Trafford in the Match for Children - but he had a serious message as he paid tribute to the 127 people who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in France on Friday.

Beckham finished his career at Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 and supported his friend Zinedine Zidane's decision to pull out of yesterday's match. "On behalf of myself, the managers and the players, we send our condolences to those who have lost loved ones," he said.

"I have great memories from Paris over the years, not just when I was with PSG. I played my 100th game for England there and the support I had from the French people was amazing. I got a standing ovation.

"To go back as a Paris Saint-Germain player, it has always been a special place. I understood why Zizou took the decision not to play. He was very respectful to me and he had promised he'd come over and play but I totally understand. He is a friend and a very passionate man. Being French, what happened hit him very hard."

 



Frightened fans gathered on the pitch at the Stade de France due to the Paris terror attacks



Beckham believes France and England have to acknowledge the atrocities before their friendly in London on Tuesday.

"If the game goes ahead, it shows the power football has but obviously we have to show huge respect to those who have lost loved ones," he added. The former England captain is a Unicef ambassador and it raised millions for the children's charity.

In a veterans' game featuring players with more than 2,000 caps and over 200 trophies to their name, the only youngster was his own son.

Sixteen-year-old Brooklyn Beckham came on for his father with a quarter of an hour remaining - and received a standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd.

  

Paul Scholes giving Great Britain and Ireland the lead in the 3-1 win against Rest of the World

"One of my lasting memories was winning the Premier League and walking around with Brooklyn when he was 18 months old," he added. "He is 16 now and a bit big to get on my shoulders. Thankfully it was something the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] agreed to do. It was amazing to have him out there with me."

But he said his oldest son will not be following in his footsteps, saying: "He loves photography. That is one of his passions."

Beckham senior set up the opening goal for Paul Scholes before Michael Owen scored twice to seal victory, while Dwight Yorke scored for the Rest of the World XI.

"It was always going to be a special day," said Beckham, who had played in six other continents as part of an aware-raising campaign.

"It has been a long journey over the last nine days. We set out to play seven games in seven continents wanted to do it in seven days but that was pushing it. We achieved what we wanted to, raised a lot of money. It is a significant amount. It will definitely be seven figures."