David Beckham has revealed that former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told him to shave off his mowhawk hairstyle prior to their Charity Shield match against Chelsea at Wembley.
The former England captain, who spent 11 years playing at United, spoke of the 2000 incident during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, which will air on the BBC this Friday.
The 39-year-old recalled how Ferguson, who retired from management in 2013, told him to shave off his hair in the toilets at Wembley.
"I was in the dressing room with an hour to go before kick off when Sir Alex Ferguson saw it and made me shave it off," Beckham said on the show. "I said no at first and then I saw his face change very quickly so I went and shaved it off in the toilet.
"He was very strict. It was the reputation of the club, he wanted all the players to look professional and he felt it wasn't the right look. We were playing at Wembley too, so he kind of had a point."
Beckham left United in 2003 and went on to play for Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.