Former footballer David Beckham, 49, recently unveiled his latest tattoo on Instagram—a pair of praying hands. The new body art was shared online by tattoo artist Certified Letter Boy, who also posted a black-and-white photo with the Manchester United legend. The London-based artist, known for his work on Beckham’s sons Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz, captioned the post: “New tattoo for @davidbeckham. Thank you for the trust, DB.”
David Beckham’s tattoo journey began in 1999, shortly after becoming a father. His first tattoo, commemorating the birth of his eldest son Brooklyn, was his name written in gothic script across his lower back. This was followed by a guardian angel tattoo higher up on his back.
Beckham has accumulated over seventy tattoos, and even he may have lost track of the total. In a 2016 Biotherm Homme advertisement, he described his tattoos as “the story of my life written on my skin” and humorously noted, “Don’t expect to read it on my face.”
In interviews, Beckham has addressed questions about his tattoos aging with him, stating, “I’m not even worried about it.” His sons have also embraced body art, with Brooklyn being the most heavily tattooed, starting his collection when he turned 18.
David’s latest tattoos include “Love” across the top of his left hand, flanked by swallows, and the numbers 723, representing the shirt numbers he wore for Manchester United and Real Madrid. His wedding year is inked on his little finger, and his daughter Harper designed a small female stick figure tattoo.
Beckham also sports “Posh” on a finger in tribute to his wife Victoria Beckham’s Spice Girls nickname. His arm sleeves feature prominent tattoos dedicated to his marriage, including Victoria’s name in Sanskrit along the inside of his forearm. To celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary, he and Victoria got matching Hebrew tattoos translating to “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” A rose tattoo on his left arm commemorates their tenth anniversary.
One of Beckham’s most iconic tattoos is a gothic cross and wings on his neck, symbolizing his faith and acting as a guardian for his son Romeo, whose name is inked just below the wings. Harper’s name is also on his neck, updated to include “Pretty Lady” for her fourth birthday.
Beckham’s back features angel wings for his sons’ protection and their names—Brooklyn and Cruz. A large chest tattoo depicts himself as Jesus, with cherubs representing Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz. He also has a vertical tattoo in Chinese characters down his left side, translating to “Death and life have determined appointments.” Lastly, a ship at full mast on his back honors his father, echoing a tattoo his dad also has.
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