David Beckham: I’d ‘love’ to be on U.K. Olympic team

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   >>> we are back now at 8:10 with a tough assignment for our special correspondent meredith vieira . she's covering the queen's diamond jubilee in london but she took a little extra time to stalk soccer super star -- i mean to sit down with soccer superstar david beckham . meredith , good morning again.

   >> i hate you. just for the record, you two are the ones fixated on his underwear, not me. that is for the record. having said that, he plays in the states now, but his heart is in england, it really is, and he hopes to play for team great britain when the olympics kicks off next month here in london . i asked him what that would mean to him.

   >> i would like to be on the olympic team. you know i'm very proud of what i've achieved in my career so far. you know, i've obviously played for the national team for quite a few years. and now i want to represent the gb team in the olympics .

   >> well, if you do make the team, all the other teammates except for two will be 23 years old. i can't believe i'm going to say this because you're only 37.

   >> yes, it's a little bit of a worry.

   >> but you'll be like the old guy.

   >> yeah, i will. i'm getting used to that, though. for the last six or seven years i've been used to being the older guy.

   >> david beckham has never competed in an olympics . in fact, great britain's team hasn't even qualified since 1960 , before beckham was born. olympic soccer players must be under the age of 23 with the exception of three players per team. beckham hopes to be one of them. you know, you've heard the criticism, some people have thrown out at you that if he makes it on the team, less to do with his performance on the field, and more to do with his celebrity off of it. and you have said about those comments that they're really disrespectful. but are you surprised that they've been made?

   >> i'm not surprised. i don't really, you know, take too much interest in those kind of comments. but i have said that i felt that those comments are disrespectful, because i've had kind of a successful career. with what i do.

   >> kind of.

   >> kind of.

   >> and you are one of the ambassadors to the olympics . there are reports that they're going to ask you to light this cauldron for the opening ceremony. have you gotten the call yet?

   >> i haven't got the call yet. but my view on that is it should be an olympian. that's my view.

   >> yeah, but if you make the team --

   >> if i make the team.

   >> then you're an olympian, aren't you?

   >> no i still believe it should be an olympian that has performed in the olympics over the years.

   >> so if you're offered the opportunity you will say no?

   >> if i'm offered it, it would be hard to say no.

   >> beckham is a global superstar. a talented athlete. sex symbol . and fashion icon . yet despite his fame and fortune, he says he still is from east london at heart.

   >> you grew up in east london , working class family.

   >> yeah.

   >> your dad fixed stoves for a living, your mom was a hairdresser.

   >> yeah.

   >> and you were a kid who loved soccer.

   >> yeah.

   >> was there a moment, where you thought to yourself, where you realized, i'm really good at this?

   >> i've never thought that about my 168.

   >> are you serious?

   >> yeah, never. because it's the way i was brought up. you know, my dad, if i had a good game, my dad would say, yeah, you did okay. but these are the things that you can learn from. and these are the things that you should be doing. so, as much as he praised me, he always made sure that i knew about the things i was doing wrong. my dad would always turn around to me and say, i'll tell you when you've made it. i'll tell you when you've reached that level. and he did after one game. i was 26 or 27 and he turned around to me and he said, boy, you've done well.

   >> how much did that mean to you when he said that?

   >> i mean, it gives me goose bumps . because it's, you know, it's an amazing moment. to hear that from someone that you've looked up to for years. and will continue to look up to.

   >> you tweeted a picture the other day of you and your mum at a restaurant, you were eating.

   >> pie nash. a traditional dish in the east end of london which many people can't believe. my friend said you just came right from the airport and within an hour you're in this restaurant. which, i do every time i land.

   >> seriously?

   >> seriously. reminds me of when i grew up. you know, brings back great memories. and it tastes amazing.

   >> for as much as london feels like home, david will stay in los angeles awhile longer. he just re-signed with l.a. galaxy for another two years and even took a pay cut. he says he loves the team. and his family loves the states. wife victoria, three boys, brooklyn, romeo and cruz, and the latest addition, parker, almost a year old. how tightly wrapped around her little finger does she have you at this point?

   >> totally. the moment she was born, i think me and the boys, we were all done.

   >> is she a mini victoria?

   >> she is.

   >> she is. and what does that mean?

   >> and unbelievable. it's amazing. i think that's why i have to keep playing.

   >> just to keep her in clothes.

   >> one of the reasons why i need to play.

   >> david beckham has his own line of clothing now and endorsements with an estimated $46 million. that's what they call brand beckham . let's kick off some of the things you have endorsed. perfume, right?

   >> yes.

   >> underwear?

   >> yeah.

   >> sunglasses.

   >> a few years ago.

   >> underwear?

   >> yep.

   >> okay. phones?

   >> did that a few years ago.

   >> underwear?

   >> i'm doing it now. samsung.

   >> underwear?

   >> underwear.

   >> you understand -- you are a brand, there's no question that you are a brand.

   >> the brand is just something that people have started saying recently in recent years. we've gone into different areas, you know. it's turned into a kind of a brand which people are interested in.

   >> the first time you shot one of those ads did you feel silly or --

   >> of course. of course. i was like, seriously, the temperature in the room needs to be a little bit warmer than it is. you know, we're shooting an underwear campaign. it's something that, you know, i was -- i was totally embarrassed by.

   >> you're here in england right now for the juppely? you have met the queen? what does she mean to you, especially now with this celebration?

   >> i mean, the queen is someone that i feel that i've grown up with. you know, just like my grandmother. so, for us to be celebrating 60 years on the throne, 60 years leading our country the way she's led our country, it's a special moment for us.

   >> matt's coming over for the jubilee. and you know, we were talking the other day about the fact that you were so sweet the last time you saw matt at nbc in new york, you were wearing a great suit. he mentioned that he'd like the suit. you went and changed, gave him, literally gave him the suit off your back.

   >> are you going to wear it?

   >> sell it on ebay.

   >> do you have any message for him? because you're not going to be here when he arrives.

   >> matt, i have one message. call my suit rep. it's a great suit. please give me it back.

   >> you should really be ashamed of yourself, matt lauer , okay? the poor man just wanted his suit back. we're going to talk to him tomorrow about the olympics , -- yes you did have --

   >> absolutely gave it to you. you sold it.

   >> no, i didn't.

   >> meredith .

   >> anyway, meredith while you've been sitting there, the two ladies here have been criticizing every feature of his look.

   >> -- the hair and the shaved head.

   >> he has a nice face. we'd like to see more of it.

   >> oh, baby, listen, i sat right next to him, he looks really good.

   >> all right.

   >> and he's really, really nice.

   >> all of those --

   >> he is.

   >> meredith , listen, go get some rest. i know you're going to take off and do some things. i'm going to be there tomorrow. i'll see you along with al. we'll have some fun tomorrow, okay?

   >> okay. bring me long johns.

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