Beckham: 'Giggs set the benchmark at Man Utd'Former Man Utd captain praises old team-mate's influence after winning Legend of Football award 
David Beckham was "honoured" to receive the Legend of Football award at the 20th Anniversity HMV Football Extravaganza on Tuesday, and he praised former team-mate and 2014 award winner Ryan Giggs for setting the benchmark for their remarkable success at Manchester United.The pair both went on to become Barclays Premier League icons and won 19 Barclays Premier League titles between them after forcing their way into Sir Alex Ferguson's Man Utd team in the 1990's.
Beckham also captained England and continued his illustrious career overseas after his departure from Old Trafford in 2003, while Giggs remained at Old Trafford and is now assistant manager to Louis van Gaal after hanging up is boots in May 2014.
Beckham was recognised for his achievements at a special awards dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel, which raised £541,000 for music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins, and received the honour from last year's winner, Giggs.
Speaking after collecting his award, Beckham said: "The players and the staff we had going through from such a young age, that's what drove us on.
It wasn't about fame or earning as much money as you can. It was all about wanting to play for United.
"I think the prime example is Ryan Giggs. To be a player who has represented one club through his career, that doesn't happen anymore; for a player to have represented his club and his country the way he has and now. At some point, he will hopefully become United manager in the future. "He was the one that set the benchmark for us. He was the one we looked up to and yet he was only a year or two older than us.
We never reached his heights because he is one of the best players of all time.
We were just lucky enough to become team-mates of his.
We looked at him and said, 'If the manager is giving Giggsy a chance at such a young age, then maybe at some point he will give us a chance.'"
The HMV Football Extravaganza has now raised nearly £7million for Nordoff Robbins in its 20 years to date, which enables the charity to provide over 200,000 music therapy sessions for some of the United Kingdom’s most isolated and vulnerable people.A star-studded line-up, including former Man Utd team-mate Nicky Butt, former England internationals Sol Campbell and Jamie Carragher, and Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, were in attendance,
but Beckham said it was all about Nordoff Robbins and their "vital" work.
Beckham hails 'truly amazing' Nordoff Robbins >>
"I'm incredibly honoured to have received this award. When you look at the list of previous recipients, I feel very fortunate to join them.
More importantly the night has been about recognising the fantastic work that Nordoff Robbins does and raising funds for their vital work.
"I have seen over the years the positivity that sport can bring to children with special needs, so to come to Nordoff Robbins to learn a little more about how music can do that for people, it's something that is so touching when you see it.
"Thank you to everyone at Nordoff Robbins, what they are doing is so incredible, changing the lives of children with difficulties who are in situations which most of us will never have to face.
Congratulations on your work, it really is incredible."
At the awards night, £225,000 of the £541,000 raised for Nordoff Robbins was generated during an auction, including two lots of £55,000 generously donated for lunches with Beckham, while framed shirts signed by the award winner and a meet-and-greet package with One Direction were among the other auctioned items.
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2015-16/sep/020915-david-beckham-hails-ryan-giggs-after-winning-legend-of-football-award.html
