The Meaning of David Beckham's New Tattoo

Raechal Shewfelt
·Editor, Yahoo Entertainment

(Splash News)

The year was 1999, and David Beckham was on fire. The soccer star became a father for the first time on March 4 with the birth of son Brooklyn. On May 26, his team, Manchester United, became the first in the U.K. to win three major championships in one season. He trumped even that, though, when he married Brooklyn’s stylish momma, Victoria, on July 4 in the kind of wedding that would make Kim and Kanye jealous.

Sixteen years later, the heavily tattooed Becks commemorated that eventful year with a new “99” tattoo on his right pinky. He posted a pic of his new ink to Instagram on Thursday, captioning it, “99 was a good year for me …”

(Instagram)

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Beckham, now 40, has dozens of pieces of body art, many of which are dedicated to his family. His collection features Victoria’s name scrawled across the back of the same hand, as well as the name of his 4-year-old daughter, Harper, on his chest. The Beckham boys, Brooklyn, 16; Romeo, 12; and 10-year-old Cruz are also represented on his buff bod.

Unlike some tattoo junkies, Beckham has said he stands by every one of them.

“Mine are all about the people in my life, my wife and sons, who I want with me always,” he told CNN in May 2013. “When you see me, you see the tattoos. You see an expression of how I feel about Victoria and the boys. They’re a part of me.”

Indeed. Beckham reportedly got his first tattoo shortly after his first child was born.

Related: Watch David Beckham’s Funny Videobomb of Son Brooklyn

(Instagram)

But while he’s all about body art for himself, he’s admitted that he doesn’t want the same for his sons.

“[The boys] have already said they’re having tattoos done,” Beckham said on Britain’s ‘Jonathan Ross Show’ in December 2013. “And I said, ‘Well, be different, don’t have any tattoos.’”

They didn’t like that answer.

“They said, 'No, we’re going to have one. We’re going to have, 'Mum and Dad,’” Beckham added. “So I can’t really say no to that.”

Maybe they’ll get a family discount?