David Beckham appears to have shaken off the recent frosty reception he received at an Inter Miami pre-season game – as the former England captain enjoyed his new hobby

David Beckham suffered a gruesome knee graze while playing padel tennis – just days after he was booed by fans in Hong Kong.

The retired footballer was letting his hair down alongside friends as he enjoyed his pastime after receiving a frosty reception from supporters in the Far East.

Disgruntled fans expressed their disappointment while the ex-Manchester United superstar was making a speech at a game involving his Inter Miami side.

As he addressed a baying crowd, he was met with jeers and cries of ‘refund’ as spectators showed their displeasure after talisman Lionel Messi was ruled out of the exhibition match. 

Despite the hostile atmosphere, Miami triumphed 4-1 over a Hong Kong XI as their captain failed to appear.

However, it appeared that club co-owner Beckham had quickly put the episode behind him as he took to the court for a game of padel tennis. Essentially a cross between tennis and squash, the Mexican game has proven popular among elite sports figures in recent times.

The aforementioned Messi and old foe Cristiano Ronaldo are both fans of the sport, while Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has even had a court installed at the club’s AXA training base. As he looked to shake off the stresses of the week, Beckham smiled alongside his fellow padel tennis enthusiasts in in Doha.

He was joined by three other competitors on court, with former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti among those who lined up opposite the ex-Real Madrid midfielder. Posting a photograph on Instagram of the quartet following an enjoyable session he said: “Found a new sport, back is gonna hurt in the morning but who cares.”

Following on from this, it soon turned out that his back was likely not the only body part which was likely to be giving him some trouble in the coming hours. Taking to his Instagram Stories, he then posted a snap of his knee, displaying what appeared to be a sore cut, along with the caption: “Ouch!”

Meanwhile, his Inter Miami players continued their 23,000-mile with a trip to Tokyo to play Vissel Kobe – with the club’s co-owner giving the final leg of the tour a wide berth seemingly. Their 0-0 stalemate versus the Japanese outfit was the final stop on their pre-season jaunt before they head back to Florida.

The three-week tour has largely been a forgettable exercise for the MLS franchise, with Vice City having fallen to heavy defeats in Saudi Arabia prior to this, including a 6-0 drubbing versus Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. Arguably the nadir of the trip, however, was the controversial game in Hong Kong.

The fall out from Messi’s no-show went beyond displeasure being shown by fans within the stadium, with the city state’s government even commenting on the debacle. As for the Argentine superstar himself, however, he admitted he understood the frustration of those who had attended.

He said: “I always want to play, especially in these games where we travel so far and people want to see our games. Unfortunately this happens in football. In any game it can happen that you can’t play. I hope we can return and play a game in Hong Kong.”

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Source: CNN