David Beckham to guest edit Country Life

David Beckham is to guest edit the October 22 edition of Country Life magazine to mark his 50th birthday year. David, who played for his country 115 times and was captain of the England football team for six years before he retired from the game in 2013, has long been a fan of this magazine, a fact he lost no time in telling Editor-in-Chief Mark Hedges when they first met nearly two years ago. ‘As soon as we were introduced, David told me how much he loves Country Life,’ recalls Mr Hedges. ‘He reads every issue from cover to cover and it’s been a great companion to him as he’s developed his own life in the countryside.

‘I’m absolutely delighted that David has agreed to guest edit the magazine, especially as it will be my 1,000th issue since I became Editor. I know he has a deep love of the countryside, which has grown since he retired as a professional footballer, although he is, of course, still extremely busy as a businessman and an ambassador for a host of causes, such as UNICEF and The King’s Foundation, as well as being co-owner of Inter Miami CF in the US and Salford City Football Club in the UK.

‘As a global football icon, with a passion for the countryside, his dogs, chickens, bees and his garden — notably trees, roses and vegetables — I’m excited to see what his special commemorative issue will bring.’

David Beckham says: ‘I am honoured to have been invited to guest edit an edition of a magazine that I have always admired and read. I am really looking forward to working with the editorial team to produce an issue that will celebrate what the countryside and the great British landscape means to me and my family.’

This one-off edition will feature David Beckham’s favourite view and his best-loved recipe, as well as his rural champions and the craftsmen and women who have helped to shape his home in the Cotswolds, together with an insight into how the countryside has come to play an increasingly important role in his life.