Bedford pop star Tom Grennan recalls how boxing with David Beckham made him throw up!

Bedford pop star Tom Grennan has told of an embarrassing sparring session with David Beckham which left the England and Manchester United legend shaking his head in disappointment.

Speaking to William Hill’s Stripped Podcast, Tom explained: “My mate Pete, he is Beckham’s good mate but is also David and Victoria’s personal trainer,” he said.

“He was like, do you want to come and do some boxing with Becks and me? I was like, uh yeah, definitely.

“I was well unfit at the time though, so I was having to put my brave face on, boxing away. I could feel myself about to be sick. I couldn’t be sick in front of Beckham, so I ran out of the room and was sick in the bathroom. I then walked back into the room and he shook his head in disappointment. Becks thought I was a wuss.”

Tom, who grew up in Bedford, found his love of football and his team Manchester United at an early age.

He recalls: “I was about five or six in 2001 when I chose United’s 2000/01 home kit, said. “It was around this time I have my first memory of football and falling in love with a team and a player.

"Paul Scholes was my guy, but I fell in love with Keano (Roy Keane). Obviously, it was a good time for United back then too.”

Tom added: “The reason I am a Manchester United fan is because I have a big Irish family, and all my cousins over there are massive football fans.

"I really do think, being from Ireland you are either Liverpool or United, and my cousins were United,” the 27-year-old singer said.

“There is a picture of me, five days after being born and I am in a United babygrow. It’s always been in me to be a United fan. I’ve always been connected to the badge.”

The success of his music career has given Tom the chance to meet his footballing heroes and even play alongside them when taking part in Soccer Aid 2022.

He said: “For Soccer Aid, I sat next to Teddy (Sheringham) on the coach on the way to the stadium. I say Teddy like he’s my mate… We spoke for the whole journey. He told me loads of stories. He’s done it all that guy. There is a great one of him at the Nou Camp. He actually called his house the Nou Camp.

As a teenager, Tom had hopes of a football career of his own and was on the books of Luton Town.

He added: “That was the dream, to play football. I hit 17 and there is a decision on whether or not you make it to the next step, and I wasn’t good enough.

"I had a few trials at Northampton and Stevenage, and I wasn’t good enough to play. I feel like back then when that happened, the dream fizzled out. I didn’t hate the game, but I wasn’t bothered about it. I quit football and thankfully the music happened.”

>The stripped Podcast is a new series in which ex-footballers and celebrities are invited to take a trip down memory lane by revisiting their favourite shirts.