David Beckham in Vietnam

David Beckham arrived in Vietnam on Monday night, amid a frenzy of media interest and fan idolization. Looking cool and sophisticated the former footballer attended a dinner with high-profile Vietnamese businessmen at a Hanoi Restaurant. As his chauffeur driven limo drove through the streets thousands of fans turned out to catch a glimpse. As one of the world’s most recognised icons, he draws astonishingly large crowds wherever he goes.

Beckham is touring Asia to promote a brand of whiskey for which he is a representative. Staying at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, he had to dodge massive crowds as he came and went. After resting at the hotel, the 39-year-old Londoner attended the dinner on Ba Trieu Street. Here he signed autographs and presented special souvenirs to 24 lucky fans. After the dinner Beckham was driven to a bar on Ly Thuong Kiet Street. Hundreds of fans were waiting to see him.

With Manchester United, Beckham won the Premier League title six times and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He then moved to Real Madrid, where he enjoyed four seasons, winning La Liga in his final season with the club. He was the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League games. In 2007 Beckham, signed a five-year contract with U.S. Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy. He went on to spend two loan spells with Italian giants Milan,in 2009 and 2010.

He won his first England cap 1996, aged 21. He went on to serve as England captain for 6 years, during which he played 58 matches. Beckham made a total of 115 international appearances. He played in three FIFA World Cups (1998, 2002 and 2006) and two UEFA European Championship tournaments (2000 and 2004).

From Hanoi he traveled by private jet down to visit Ho Chi Minh City where scenes were pretty much the same. David Beckham did not have much time in Ho Chi Minh City where he met with media and fans on Tuesday night. He definitely won the admiration of everybody with his friendliness and constant smile. The girls in the crowd were particularly impressed. He then enjoyed a dinner with businessmen, similar to his evening in the Vietnamese capital on Monday. Both the events in Ho Chi Minh City had limited numbers of guests, and those invited had to comply with strict security policies.

The former Manchester United midfielder has been the ambassador for a variety of organizations, which include Sky Sports, Adidas and UNICEF.