David Beckham: the cover revealed

The footballer, father of four and national heartthrob graces ELLE’s July 2012 cover in a first for the magazine.

There are more delectable photos of Becks inside the issue, along with an interview that shows that even globally obsessed-over stars can get a bit bashful over all the fuss.

‘How would I sum myself up? I don’t know, I prefer other people to do that,’ he says. ‘Erm... a little bit shy.’

ELLE made publishing history by deciding to feature Beckham as our first solo male cover star in anticipation of the 2012 Olympic games.

‘David Beckham is a national hero,’ ELLE Editor in Chief Lorraine Candy said. ‘He is an icon and Elle is known for featuring icons on its cover. This is a first for us on the newsstand and I believe he is loved by men and women alike.’

‘Anyway, who doesn’t want to see a picture of one of the world’s most handsome men on the front cover of a magazine? It will be a collector’s issue.’

We're sure you’ll agree.

Click the arrow on the cover image to see our special Collectors' Edition cover.

Find the July issue on newsstands this Wednesday, 30 May. Subscribe to ELLE here.

See Victoria Beckham's March 2013 cover

See which other men have made appearances on ELLE covers

Check out videos from past cover stars at ELLE TV