David Beckham has revealed he kept a memento from the very first time he met his wife, Victoria.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the former England captain spoke about the couple’s first meeting, explaining that he was a young player at Manchester United at the time.
In 1997, the Spice Girl attended one of David’s football matches in London alongside her manager and bandmate Melanie Chisholm.
“We knew of them, obviously, because they were pretty big at the time,” David said.
“And I was just establishing myself in the Manchester United team at the time. But we all had our favourite Spice Girl.”
When asked by Jimmy if the then-Victoria Adams was his favourite band member, David replied: “She was obviously my favourite, might be a bit awkward if (she) wasn’t.”
The former footballer then told how Victoria travelled to Manchester the following week and they got to speak for the very first time, adding that he has kept hold of a memento from the day.
“She’d had a couple of drinks so I decided why not, I’ll try and get her number,” David recalled.
“We talked for about an hour in the players’ lounge. She actually got the train up that day so she wrote her number down on her train ticket, which I still have.”
The crowd sighed, as Jimmy said: “And here you are 20 years later.”
The Beckhams got married in a lavish ceremony at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland in July 1999.
The couple, who celebrated their 20th anniversary last year, reportedly spent £500k on the wedding. Victoria wore a Vera Wang gown and a gold crown, designed by jeweller Slim Barrett for the occasion.
They have four children together – sons Brooklyn, 20, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15 and eight-year-old daughter Harper.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, David opened up about how “proud” he is of the Duke of Sussex for stepping down from the royal family.
David described Prince Harry, with whom he is friends, as an “amazing” person.
“We love him. But I’m proud to see him growing up as an individual and being that person that every father wants to be,” David said.
“Every father wants to be loving to their children and that’s what I see with him.”
