Manila: Away from fans' prying eyes, David Beckham took time out from football to share his experiences and listen to Filipino children struggling to rebuild their broken lives.
"It's so important to have a dream," Beckham told the former street children yesterday at a Unicef-supported shelter in a suburb of Manila, the Philippine capital where he and his teammates from the Los Angeles Galaxy are playing an exhibition against the country's national team.
On the sidelines of the Galaxy's Manila trip, Beckham, who is also a Unicef goodwill ambassador, visited the shelter for children who have been rescued from the streets. They shared tales of domestic abuse and crime .
Wearing a black Unicef T-shirt, the 36-year-old former England captain listened intently in a private conversation with a group of five children and told them how he started playing when he was seven years old and eventually achieving his dream of playing for Manchester United.
A highlight of his visit was a brief practice followed by a short game in which he joined one half of the shelter's team.
