David Beckham has appeared as a much older version of himself in a campaign video to help fight malaria.
The 45-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid football star has been given a digital makeover that imagines what he might look like in his 70s.
Beckham, who also previously captained England, is shown in his 70s, delivering a speech hailing the defeat of our “oldest and deadliest enemy” for the Malaria Must Die, So Millions Can Live campaign.
The video then flicks back to 2020, with Beckham delivering a sobering message.
“Right now, the fight is harder than ever. And as a father it breaks my heart that a child dies every two minutes from malaria,” he says.
“A future free from this disease is possible in our lifetimes. We must unite and tell our leaders that we won’t stop until the job is done. Join me and share to declare that malaria must die so millions can live.”
The former footballer has been an ambassador for the British arm of the US charity Malaria Must Die since 2009. He is also a founding member of its leadership council.
“The fight against malaria is a cause close to my heart because the disease remains a huge killer of children and we have the opportunity to change that in our lifetime,” he says.
Malaria kills about 400,000 people a year, most of them children younger than five.
It is a parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of female mosquitoes that is particularly prevalent across sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the World Health Organisation, the disease is preventable and curable using mosquito nets and antimalarial drugs.
