Even as he approaches his 50th birthday, England legend David Beckham is still asked by people to join into games of football – even by some fellow legends of the game still actively playing.

Beckham, who’s most active in the game these days as one of the co-owners of Inter Miami, has traded his shooting boots for dress shoes as he runs the most popular club in Major League Soccer.

But that doesn’t mean that his own players, including Lionel Messi, don’t try to invite him down to train with them.

Beckham has continued to politely decline these requests in order to let his head coach, Javier Mascherano, to prepare without distractions. 

He also told the magazine that his body might not be able to handle training as much any more. 

David Beckham says his Inter Miami players often invite him to the training ground to join in

He says Lionel Messi and other former Barcelona stars he brought in ask him for a kick around

But Beckham says that his body can’t keep up anymore with Messi and the rest of his stars

‘The funny thing was, the other day I was kicking a ball around for Adidas, doing some filming for my new Predator boots,’ Beckham revealed. ‘I was doing some free kicks, pinging some long passes and I got overly excited. 

‘I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but I grew up in an era where I didn’t really do much warming up or stretching. So, it wasn’t unusual just taking some balls on the halfway line and pinging them into the goal or on to the crossbar.

‘I got to the fifth, six and seventh – on the eighth one, I pinged it, and I was like, “Oh sh*t, my quad!” The guy filming asked if I could do a couple more. I was like, “No, I think we got it!”‘

Beckham’s Miami team currently sit third in the Eastern Conference – having drawn their first match, but winning their most recent game against the Houston Dynamo.

That game did not come without its controversies. Despite only being the second game of the MLS regular season, Messi did not play against Houston and did not travel with the team.

Messi was not injured, rather Mascherano decided to rest him amid a congested schedule.

The Dynamo responded in a statement Saturday offering outraged fans a complimentary ticket to another MLS game in the season. 

Lionel Messi did not travel with his Inter Miami teammates to face the Houston Dynamo 

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano reportedly took the decision to rest the star 

Messi is expected to make his return to the field Thursday when the Herons face Jamaican team Cavalier SC in Round of 16 Concacaf Champions Cup at Chase Stadium.

Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets were substituted late into Miami’s 3-1 Champions Cup win over Sporting KC midweek with Mascherano later revealing the changes had been intentional to ensure those players received rest.

‘Leo is fine. He is OK. He will train normally like the rest of his teammates,’ Maschernao said Friday morning when asked about Messi’s fitness.

The coach was quizzed on the veteran’s ability to continue playing at the level fans have become accustomed to seeing from him in a season that includes the Champions Cup, MLS season, Club World Cup and Leagues Cup.

‘Look, every situation and season is different and you have to put everything in context,’ Mascherano said. ‘We played in a knockout round [last week]. There was no way to rotate the roster. We started the season in Kansas, where the Champions League is an important competition for us.

‘In between those two games we had the start of the MLS season. That is also one of the competitions we aim to win. So, when we talk about being able to rotate and rest the players, we must see the context. We had to play three games in [seven] days.

‘We didn’t have the necessary rest, because we were changed on the first match date. It is what it is, we adapt to the circumstances.