The design was needled in two sittings by Manchester based tattoo artist Louis Malloy on Sunday 11th March and Tuesday 13th March, the day Beckham bid farewell to Manchester United fans. It consists of two ’symbolic’ pieces that reflect the ‘deep turmoil he feels about going to LA’ said a source close to the former England captain. Most significant, said the source, are the words ‘Pray For Me’ inscribed on the inside of his right wrist. “This is how he feels about the massive move from being an English boy through and through, who has represented his country for many years and is now turning his back on England to embrace America,” the source said.

“The move was never an easy decision and it wasn’t really David’s, it was Victoria’s from day one.  The tattoo is not something Victoria wanted him to go ahead with as she felt it would not be a good start to their time in LA, but David was adamant that he would show his true feelings about the move and stop covering it up, even if it is rather cryptic,” the source added.

The three words are inscribed next to another symbolic piece Beckham apparently wanted to reflect who he feels he has been for the past ten years - a Knight Templar, symbolised by a cross. The Templar Knights, recognisable by their white mantle with distinct red cross, are for David the symbols of him and the England team. He asked the tattoo artist to etch the Knight Templar on his arm as he “feels the knights were the best equipped, trained, and disciplined fighting units of the Crusades, just as he has always tried to be as a footballer representing his team of knights”.

The main tattoo on the forearm is a giant angel sentinel, holding a flame in her hand so that her face is illuminated from below. The wings spread round Beckham’s arm and merge with the existing tattoos. The second tattoo across his arm is a quote by the Roman Emperor Tiberius and also used by Caligula. It reads: “Lets them hate (me) as long as they fear (me).”

It is written in English though Beckham originally wanted it written in Latin. The reason he was advised not to do it in Latin is because the middle word would have been ‘dum’, which he is understood to have been adamant he did not want on his arm for fear of cruel jibes about his own intellect. The new tattoo’s detail is difficult to make out, since it is merged with tattoos which were already there.

The end result is a rather unpretty mess. Already on the arm are the words ‘Perfectio In Spiritu’ which means ’spiritual perfection’, and the roman numerals VII - which relates to Beckham’s No7 shirt. Beckham’s left arm carries wife Victoria’s name in Hindi plus the words Ut Amem et Foveam (So that I love and cherish). On his back he has a huge angel in the shapoe of a cross and his three sons’ names Romeo, Brooklyn and Cruz.