Former England captain David Beckham kicked off his five-day tour of China on Wednesday (March 20th) and branded himself an ambassador for the grassroots of the sport.

Earlier in the month China named Beckham as its first global soccer ambassador to revive the game's image, which has been hit by a match-fixing scandal and an exodus of international stalwarts from the country's premier league.

In his new role Beckham, who joined the French club Paris Saint-Germain in January, is expected to help bring the Chinese Super League (CSL) a more positive image to the world stage, promoting the game in the world's most populous country.

"There are so many young children here that want to play the game and want to become professional, and hopefully I can give them advice and help them," Beckham told a news conference in Beijing.

Later Beckham had a kickaround with star-struck young players at a Beijing school, taking to the training pitch in shirt and tie.

Presented by Adam Justice