Hilarious reason why Queen Elizabeth II chose NOT to pick David Beckham as her favorite footballer

'Michael Owen is my favourite player,' Queen Elizabeth II told Sven Goran Eriksson, the former England manager

UPDATED SEP 13, 2022

David Beckham first met Queen Elizabeth II in 2002 during a banquet for MBE winners (Yui Mok - WPA Pool, Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

LONDON, UK: Queen Elizabeth II once told former Three Lions manager Sven Goran Eriksson that former England striker Michael Owen was her favorite footballer and not David Beckham. Eriksson revealed that she was enamored with Owen's hygiene off the field rather than his great skill on it.

Speaking on Sacked in the Morning podcast, Eriksson said: "I was invited to lunch with the Queen with about another 10 people. At a certain point, I asked her if she liked football. She said not really. I asked her for her favourite player or team. I thought she would've said Beckham. 'Michael Owen is my favourite player,' she said. I asked why and she said, 'He looks so clean'. That was the answer I got and we didn't go on with that discussion.” The Queen was the Football Association's patron with her grandson, Prince William, being the organization's president.

Michael Owen looks on prior to the Premier League match between Leeds United and Aston Villa at Elland Road on March 10, 2022 in Leeds, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

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Queen Elizabeth II meets David Beckham at Buckingham Palace on June 26, 2018 in London, England. The Queen's Young Leaders Programme, now in its fourth and final year, celebrates the achievements of young people from across the Commonwealth working to improve the lives of people across a diverse range of issues including supporting people living with mental health problems, access to education, promoting gender equality, food scarcity and climate change. — Queen Elizabeth II meets David Beckham at Buckingham Palace on June 26, 2018 in London, England (Photo by John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Owen built a prosperous career for both club and nation. After breaking onto the limelight with Liverpool, he won the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup before going on to win the Premier League with Manchester United. His achievements earned him the Ballon d'Or, football's highest individual honor, in 2001. He also scored 40 goals in 89 games for England, behind just five players on the Three Lions' all-time scoring record. Following the tragic declaration of the Queen's death, Owen paid homage on Twitter as he stated: “RIP to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Thank you Ma'am for your lifetime of service and dedication.”

Head coach Sven Goran Eriksson gestures during the Shanghai SIPG training session at AAMI Park on February 23, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Beckham, the Manchester United great and former England captain, may have been particularly surprised by the Queen's remarks to Eriksson about her favorite footballer. He first met the Queen in 2002 during a banquet for MBE winners. Beckham, like Owen, wrote a moving tribute to the Queen after her death. On Instagram, he wrote: "I’m truly saddened by the death of Her Majesty, The Queen. What an outpouring of love and respect we saw for the Platinum Jubilee for her life of service. How devastated we all feel today shows what she has meant to people in this country and around the world. How much she inspired us with her leadership. How she comforted us when times were tough. Until her last days she served her country with dignity and grace. This year she would have known how loved she was. My thoughts and prayers are with our Royal Family."