David Beckham: 'There was no child sex abuse at Manchester United'

David Beckham looks on during his visit Hangzhou Huanglong Stadium on June 22, 2013
© Getty Images
David Beckham describes the child sex abuse engulfing English football as "disgraceful" but insists that nothing of the sort happened at Manchester United.

David Beckham has described the child sex abuse scandal engulfing English football as "disgraceful", but insists that nothing of the sort took place at Manchester United.

The 41-year-old Englishman came through the Red Devils academy and played at senior level for the illustrious club between 1992 and 2003.

Police forces up and down the country have been working alongside football bodies to investigate widespread allegations of abuse at academies spanning several decades.

"It's disgraceful what's gone on and there has to be something done about it," Beckham said on the BBC's Desert Island Discs radio show. "But there was never anything at Manchester United.

"The closest [thing to abuse] would've been certain professionals. If we'd gone out of line they'd make us do a funny dance in the middle of the changing room in front of our heroes at the time.

"[It was] humiliation, and that was all it was, but that was just to teach us a lesson, there was never any wrongdoing."

Beckham also played for Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain before retiring in 2013.

Ravel Morrison playing for Manchester United's youth side in 2011.
Read Next:
Ravel Morrison in last-chance saloon?
>


LIVE SCORES VIDEPRINTER
expand