England footballer David Beckham, who is in Afghanistan for a surprise visit to boost the morale of thousands of British troops serving in the country, has said that if he wasn’t a footballer he would have gladly joined the army.
When asked what he thought about a career on the frontline, Beckham said: “Without a doubt, I would have represented my country many times on the field, but what these guys do representing our country is really amazing.”
Beckham had jetted out from Royal Air Force’s Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, on Friday night, to Helmand where about 9,000 British troops are stationed.
The 35-year-old, who is recovering from an Achilles-tendon injury, visited 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles and took part in a shooting challenge with them, scoring with his only attempt.
“To see their morale is really incredible. They're so focused. They've got this look in their eyes that they're so confident and just ready,” News of The World quoted Beckham, as saying.
He also spent hours signing anything the troops could get their hands on - flags, cards, uniforms and even loo rolls.
During his visit, Beckham is expected to make a trip to Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital where Britain has a military base.
Earlier, talking about Beckham’s trip, a ministry of defence spokeswoman said, “This is a long-planned morale-boosting trip for the benefit of our troops during which he will meet service personnel from all the services as well as international and Afghan troops.”
Britain has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of an international force, largely fighting the Taliban.
