David Beckham covers the latest issue of Men’s Health UK. While he has many businesses and sponsorships, it looks like this interview was mainly done for two reasons: he’s shilling his new nutrition/supplement line, IM8, and he’s also chatting about turning 50 years old in May. It’s a big deal – Ol’ Goldenballs is turning the big 5-0. He seems fine with it, probably because he’s in good shape and his body doesn’t hurt that much after decades of professional football. He’s got a strong marriage, healthy kids, and he’s the designated chore-monkey for the Windsors. Everything’s coming up roses! Some highlights from David’s interview:

He treats everyone respectfully: ‘I definitely learned a lot about leadership from Sir Alex Ferguson. I think I’ve taken that into my business. I’m sometimes first in the office and the last out. The staff see how I work. In business, I think it’s always been about how you treat people. That’s why I’ve got a great team. I don’t like an atmosphere in an office, I don’t like an atmosphere in a team. I don’t like aggression. You always treat people with respect – doesn’t matter who it is it, from the guy on the door to the lawyers or the accountant.’

His body feels good: ‘Do you know what, my body’s actually feeling better than it has done for a long time. People ask where I feel it the most – is it my knees or my ankles? My achilles was a bad injury towards the end of my playing career but it never troubles me now, despite rupturing it. It’s actually my back and left hip that give me the most grief. I’ve had it X-rayed, MRI’d – it’s just wear and tear.’

Turning 50 this year: ‘Doesn’t bother me one bit. 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.’

The back-end of his career did a lot of damage to his body: ‘Unfortunately, I did have a lot of injections and I don’t think it’s a good thing. 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, so I’ve still got it.’

Why he created his premium nutrition brand, IM8: ‘It’s the reason that I wanted to create IM8. I was fed up with going into the pharmacy or a health shop and there were so many supplements, so many tablets, so many powders. One person saying one thing is the best and others would disagree. IM8 works for me. Gut health, energy, focus – all of it is improved.’

Life in the Cotswolds: ‘Cooking is a real passion for me now. It’s something I’m so proud of.’ On social media, he’s given fans tours of his home in the Cotswolds, complete with a chicken coop, a vegetable patch and beehives. ‘When we harvest the honey and I’m sat there in my kitchen looking at it all, I get quite emotional. I turn to my kids looking for respect and they’re like, “Yeah, whatever, Dad.” It’s so satisfying for me, though.’

He’ll have an empty nest in five years: ‘We’re not quite there yet, but it’s actually painful. We’ve gone from having four in the house to one.’ The self-confessed ‘neat freak’ even admits he’s already missing the boys’ cluttered bedrooms. ‘What I would give to have that back and be able to walk in, moaning to them about it! That said, my boys are pretty good. They’ll always ask me to the pub when they go with their mates.’

[From Men’s Health]

Did you clock the fact that he was like “my body feels good, I’m in great shape” and then he’s like “oh yeah I broke my back and it still bothers me, as does my wrist and everything else.” Still, I bet that David thought his body would be much more banged up after his career and it’s shocking that his knees and ankles aren’t being held together with duct tape. Anyway, spare a thought for Harper, the baby of the family and the last one in the “nest.” She’s their only girl too – David is going to be completely devastated when she moves out. None of the Beckham boys are going to college, right? I wonder if Harper will end up going to university. If she does, I’m sure her dad will visit as much as possible and bring hand-cooked meals.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, cover courtesy of Men’s Health UK.