Beckham said that Charlton was a titanic presence on and off the pitch and that personally he had a huge impact on his career.

Manchester United and England legend David Beckham has paid tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, saying he owes the former forward “everything”.

World Cup winner Charlton’s death rocked the footballing world, leading to an outpouring of emotion and tributes.

At the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony, Beckham touched on Charlton’s passing, saying that he meant a great deal to a great many people.

“I probably don’t have to tell this room how special Sir Bobby was to the world of football,” said Beckham.

“He was respected on the field for what he did and what he went through, for what he won. But he was even more respected off the field for what he stood for.

“The respect that he had, not just in Manchester, not just in England but around the world was truly incredible. He’s going to sorely missed. When we used to look up into the stands we used to always see Sir Bobby sat there, cheering us on. So he’s going to be missed on that side.”

Beckham then touched on his own experience with Charlton, remembering how the former Manchester United forward pushed the club to take a chance on him after taking part in camps he used to run.

“On a personal side, Sir Bobby started everything for me. It’s where it all began, I went to Sir Bobby’s soccer school when I was 10 years old. I won it when I was 11 years old and if it wasn’t for Sir Bobby, turning around to Manchester United and saying you should watch this young man I probably would never have played for Manchester United.

“So I owe him everything, he was my dad’s hero, it’s one of the reasons why my middle name is Robert after Sir Bobby, so he’s very special in our household. He’s very special around the world and we’ll miss him dearly.”

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Source: USA Today