Former Manchester United striker delivers United Nations speech

The United Nations General Assembly has ended after days of political conversation in New York.

While the annual meeting, held at the UN headquarters, is usually surrounded by debate over world issues, sometimes sportsmen have their say.

Manchester United legend Sir David Beckham delivered a speech at the summit in 2019 as UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador.

The ex-Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain icon spoke in support of action to protect and promote child rights globally, in just one of his roles away from the game after retirement.

At the 2026 event, another former Manchester United player has followed in Beckham’s footsteps.

Duncan Watmore, who started his football career at the club before going on to have successful periods with Sunderland and Middlesbrough, took to the stage during Global Health Futures Day to argue that lessons from elite athletic performance should be used to improve everyday public health, according to BBC Sport.

The 32-year-old, like David Beckham, has a role outside of football following his retirement, as head of elite performance at wellbeing firm PEAK4.

It’s an interesting job, and one that makes sense, with Watmore hoping to address the issues of wellbeing in his United Nations speech.

“Using the power of football, and sport more broadly, to help make the world a better place is something I’ve always been incredibly passionate about,” the former Manchester United youth player said. “To be able to speak about that on a stage like UNGA was a real privilege.”

Watmore may not have made the grade at Manchester United, after being released at just 12, but created a name for himself with his goals across the Premier League throughout his career.

The 32-year-old’s newest venture has started off well, and a well-received United Nations speech is certainly a sign of successes to come.