David Beckham is envious of his sons' youth.

Whilst the 39-year-old former footballer - who has children Brooklyn, 16, Romeo, 12, Cruz, 10, and Harper, with wife Victoria Beckham - is ''very proud'' of his professional achievements, he sometimes wishes he could swap with his children as they have ''all their lives'' ahead of them.

Asked who he would like to be if not himself, he said: ''I would like to be many people. Maybe my sons because they enjoy life, they play football and they have all their life ahead.

''But I am very proud of what I have achieved in my career. I have done things outside the football pitch because I have had success inside it. In all the places I have played, England, Spain, Italy, France, America... I have always worked hard and people like that. I feel lucky.''

And David is proud his children are developing their own style, insisting he and Victoria have little to do with their fashion choices.

He told Spain's El Mundo newspaper: ''Each of my sons have their own style. Sometimes [Victoria and I] tell them not to wear something but most of the time they choose what they want and they choose well.

''It's important for me, as a dad, that my sons have their own style.''

Meanwhile, David previously admitted he takes fashion inspiration from his three sons.

He said: ''I do get inspiration from my kids. Brooklyn is constantly coming up with his own look, and Cruz is the same, and Romeo is Romeo, he looks good in everything. So they give me inspiration all the time.''