Quintin Jardine's blog

When the BBC announced that David  Beckham was to be given a lifetime achievement award, my first reaction, shared by many, I’m sure was, ‘He’s only 35.’ Then I had a look at his detailed biography and I changed my mind. It’s not just what he’s done, it’s the way that he’s done it. Like all great footballers, he added about 20% to his natural talent by sheer hard work. Then he added something else. Some would call it charisma, and that’s fine. I’d call it character. Yes, he has traded on his football fame and on his wife’s Spice background to build a brand that’s made them multi-millionaires. But he’s done much more than that. He’s been an ambassador for his country whenever it has asked him to step forward. He stands out from the recent World Cup debacle as one of the few figures of integrity in global football. He’s a UNICEF ambassador and he’s a lead ing figure in an anti-malaria charity. He lives his life as a target for every paparazzo out to make a buck, and remains mostly spotless.

Becks has been a public figure for half of the life that was honoured last night, but I don’t believe that anyone truly appreciated what he is until his name was called out last night, and the entire massive audience stood and applauded him, quite spontaneously, until their throats and their palms were sore. It was cathartic; the opportunity to express true feelings and they all took it. There wasn’t  dry eye in the house, or in ours. When, finally, they allowed him to speak, he wasn’t massively articulate, but what he said was balanced, humble, caring, good and from the heart.

Come the next honours list in ten days time, people will be knighted and ennobled. History tells us that many will have helped, in the main, only themselves. If Becks goes into 2011 as Sir David, it’ll be an honour bestowed for what he’s done for others, not for himself, and for what he means.