David Beckham has been meeting vulnerable children at a rescue centre in Cambodia as they recover from years of emotional and sexual abuse.
The former England star travelled to Siem Reap to see for himself the work being carried out by his 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund which is helping to protect children in danger.
Pictures released today showed the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador joining in with a lesson, where one young child took a particularly keen interest in his many tattoos.
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A young Cambodian child takes an interest in David Beckham’s many tattoos as the former England star visits a rescue centre for youngsters saved from years of sexual and emotional abuse
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Mucking in: The former England football captain helps a girl with the washing at a rescue centre in Siem Reap
Beckham, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, said: ‘I am here in Cambodia to meet children who have experienced violence, hear their stories and see what UNICEF and its partners are doing to keep these children safe.
‘It is shocking that every five minutes a child dies because of violence somewhere in the world. This has to stop.’
The star’s fund helps UNICEF deliver life-changing programmes for children across the world, including those affected by violence in Cambodia.
It was launched earlier this year, his tenth year as a Goodwill Ambassador.
He said he is committed to using his celebrity, influence and connections to raise vital funds and encourage world leaders to create lasting positive change for children.
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Learning local customs: Beckham greets girls at a rescue centre where children are protected from violence
The 40-year-old was in Macau, China, on Saturday afternoon, where he attended the opening ceremony for a new H&M store.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that he has landed a role in Guy Ritchie’s latest film Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur.
The retired soccer star has reportedly signed up for a part in the Middle Ages epic starring Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Eric Bana and Poppy Delevingne.
A source said: ‘There’s going to be a version of the scene where Excalibur gets drawn from the stone. This is where Beckham factors in.’
The football star – who played for England as well as the clubs Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy during his successful career as a footballer – is unofficially credited on film database imdb.com as playing ‘Blackleg leader’ in the movie, which began filming this week.
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Beckham launched his 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund this year, his tenth year as Goodwill Ambassador
And according to the website FilmDivider.com, ‘some football puns’ were written into his scene.
They added: ‘There’s a little bit of a sense that Beckham’s character, who fancies himself as a big player in this story, gets a little ticked off when this other fellow, this upstart, is the one who can free the sword.’
David has previously worked with Guy – who was married to Madonna from 2000 to 2008 and has been friends with the sports icon for years – on a short advert for H&M in 2013 and on a commercial for Beckham’s Haig Whiskey.
The tattooed hunk – who has children Brooklyn, 16, Romeo, 12, Cruz, 10, and three-year-old Harper with fashion designer wife Victoria Beckham – is also set to make a cameo in the Snatch director’s new film The Man From U.N.C.L.E, which is scheduled for release in August.
