David Beckham was officially knighted by King Charles III this week and a former England team-mate of his has lifted the lid on what the experience is like
Alan Shearer has offered a glimpse into what it’s like to be recognised at Buckingham Palace, following David Beckham’s long-awaited knighthood. The Newcastle legend, who received an OBE in 2001 and a CBE in 2016, described being honoured at the home of the Royal Family as a “surreal” experience.
“It’s an amazing experience to receive an honour,” Shearer told Betfair. “I went to Buckingham Palace on both occasions and it was an amazing day.
“[You feel] so proud for yourself and your family. It’s all the commitment that you’ve been through the years and all the hard work that you’ve put in. It’s pretty surreal.”
Shearer, 55, enjoyed one of the most distinguished careers in English football, scoring more than 400 goals across spells with Newcastle, Blackburn, Southampton and the England national team. A Premier League winner with Blackburn in 1994/95, he remains the league’s all-time leading scorer with 260 goals – and captained his country for several years.
However, it wasn’t just his footballing achievements that earned Shearer royal recognition. His services to charity and his dedication to the North East community were key to his honours.
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Philanthropy also played a major role in Beckham finally receiving his knighthood. The Manchester United legend – knighted by King Charles last week – was honoured for his contributions to both sport and a range of charitable causes, including his long-standing work with UNICEF and support for initiatives such as Malaria No More and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Beckham had been in contention for the gong for several years and Shearer insisted it was “about time” he landed the “thoroughly deserved” title.
“He’s been a great ambassador for football. He obviously does a huge amount of charity work as well and just listening to him afterwards talking to the media, you can see how much it meant to him, how proud he was and how proud all his family were,” the Match of the Day pundit said. “Big congratulations to him and his family – it’s thoroughly deserved.”
Shearer and Beckham were international team-mates for four years, with both playing key roles for England at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Despite their quality, the Three Lions fell short in each tournament.
At France ’98, Beckham’s infamous red card in the last-16 clash with Argentina proved costly as England were eliminated on penalties. Two years later, at Euro 2000, the team suffered another disappointment – crashing out in the group stage despite a memorable victory over old rivals Germany.
“I was lucky enough to play with him [Beckham] for England in the 1998 and that night against Argentina was one of the major talking points at that World Cup,” Shearer added. “I played with him again at Euro 2000 and he put a great ball in for me when I scored against Germany.
“It was an unbelievable cross from Beckham – a forwards dream. He had a brilliant technique and was fantastic. We weren’t the greatest team in 2000 but in ’98 we went in thinking we could win it.”
Shearer retired from international football after Euro 2000, paving the way for Beckham to take over as England captain. Beckham went on to wear the armband for six years, leading the Three Lions at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and at Euro 2004.
On each of those occasions, England’s campaign ended in familiar fashion – with elimination at the quarter-final stage. Beckham relinquished the captaincy after Germany ’06, but wouldn’t retire from England duty until 2009.
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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