I’ve gone up a few cup sizes jokes David Beckham as he lifts lid on training regime and secret injury at end of career

FOR years, he was lauded for his blessed right foot. Now, as he approaches his 50th birthday, David Beckham is ­gaining plaudits for a whole new body part — his pecs. The star reckons near-daily workouts — those focusing on his upper body — have helped him “go up a few cup sizes” in the man-boob department.

Goldenboobs, if you will. The ex-Manchester United midfielder, who for years prioritised leg day in the gym, credits former Team GB athlete-turned-PT Bobby Rich for his body transformation. Becks says: “It was never upper body — I didn’t have pecs until I met Bob.

“I never really had a desire to, either. “I wanted to be as lean as I could. “You could say I’ve gone up a few cup sizes as a result. “But since retiring, I’ve put a bit of meat in my pecs. “I used to hate pull-ups with a passion. “I could literally only do two or three.

“Now, we do them most days. “I feel good.”. While the Inter Miami boss has always had a chiselled torso and quads like nicely shaped Iberian hams, today he is fitter than ever. A former Barry’s Bootcamp and Soul Cycle devotee — I’ve seen him leaving classes for both — he now trains both smart and hard under Bobby’s eagle eye.

Home gyms in the Cotswolds, ­London and Miami mean there is no excuse to skip a session, and wife Victoria also regularly joins him for a cardio beasting. Becks adds: “I’ve been trying to get Victoria to work out with Bob for years and she finally agreed.

“We now do five days a week, sometimes six, together. “I love training with Victoria. “We give each other plenty of grief. “She’s not very good at listening to Bobby . . . she does her own thing. “She’s not great at resting. “He’ll give her a 90-second rest and she’ll be ready to go after 25.”.

While Posh Spice, who has the body fat of a whippet, prefers the Stairmaster and Versaclimber — two particularly torturous pieces of gym kit — Becks favours pull-ups, metcon workouts (a sequence of challenging exercises often repeated without rest) and strength ­sessions.

He’s also taken up the sport du jour, racket game padel, playing three times a week. Retired from football for 12 years, undoubtedly his body took a bashing during his sterling career, which saw him win 19 trophies as well as 115 caps for England. In fact, in a new interview with Men’s Health magazine, he admits to secretly breaking his back during one of his final games for LA Galaxy.

The break was only discovered weeks after the event, but could have left him with long-term damage had it not been treated. He cites growing up in an era when stretching, mobility, ice baths, foam rollers and proper warm-ups weren’t really a “thing”, and says that contributed to some of his injuries.

He adds: “I think that’s probably why certain parts of my body were a real mess. “My last game at Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, I had three cortisone injections in my ankle and my Achilles purely to play . . . I’ve had cortisone injections in my back, too.

“I actually broke my back. “I was living in LA and cracked my spine. “I had pain after a game, I went for a scan and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. “I was insisting there was something not right there — I could feel it. “So they injected me with dye and then it came up.

“It was a bad one. “I broke my wrist in South Africa and I still get issues with it. “I was told that it was a dissolvable screw. “Turns out it wasn’t, I’ve still got it.”. Becks — one of the canniest ­players of all time on and off the field — is, of course, a millionaire many, many times over.

He single-handedly paved the way for future footballers to become brands in their own right, and has encouraged hundreds of younger players to get their assets — and endorsement deals — in order while they’re still playing. He also recently launched a brand new supplement range, IM8 — a move designed to break into the rapidly expanding wellness market while appealing to Gen Z — 43 per cent of whom don’t touch alcohol.

It’s a smart move. It’s also clear that with his ­landmark birthday looming in May, David’s relentless work ethic remains as strong as ever. He credits ex-United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for helping him with his leadership in business skills, adding: “Sometimes I’m first in the office and the last out.”.

Becks, happily married to Spice Girl turned award-winning designer Victoria for 25 years, reckons he embraces ageing. “Doesn’t bother me one bit,” he muses. “People are asking me about it gently, like it should be a big issue. “It’s not something that I’m ­worried about.

“As long as I’m fit and healthy and my family are healthy, that’s all I care about. “I’m really happy. “I’ve got the ­business and an amazing family. “My kids are working hard and they’ve all got passions — that’s what’s important to me.”.