David Beckham is to lace up his soccer boots again to play in a charity match for his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 40-year-old sportsman reached out to his former Manchester United boss, who spent 26 years at the club before retiring in 2013, to ask if he'd make a one-off return to the Old Trafford stadium to manage him and a host of other stars in a game designed to raise funds for UNICEF.

Speaking on BBC Radio One, David, who retired from soccer in 2013, said of the manager: ''First of all, he's like a father figure to me - and he has been for so many years. It's an amazing thing to have him involved in his.''

David spent 11 years under Sir Alex, 73, but the pair split in 2003 after the Scottish star accidentally kicked a soccer boot which struck the former England captain's left eye.

Four months later, the manager then sold David to Real Madrid, but they've since resolved their differences.

David will captain a Great Britain and Ireland XI, while his former Real Madrid teammate Zinedine Zidane will lead the Rest of the World XI in the game on November 14, 2015.

The hunk, who has been an ambassador for the charity for 10 years, added: ''I never thought that I'd be playing again, but it's for a good cause. We're trying to make things better, we're trying to help children around the world.''

Tickets for the game, which is being named 'The Match for Children', are available now on the Manchester United website and are priced from £10 to £20.