David Beckham at 40: Footballer turned global style icon prepares to reach milestone this weekend

David Beckham turns 40 this weekend and is expected to mark the moment with a celebrity party in Morocco.

The former England captain is said to be planning on taking to Twitter to celebrate his birthday and join his wife who has more than eight million followers on the social media site.

She used it to hint at her husband's birthday plans, posting a picture of a dress and even giving the event its own hashtag #DB40.

In 40 years, David Beckham has gone from famous footballer to despised hate figure and eventually national treasure and international style idol.

There have been plenty of highlights along the way but the lowest moment was without question the 1998 World Cup when his infamous sending off against old rivals Argentina saw him become the focus for the country's bitter disappointment.

The boy from Leytonstone, east London, grew up as a Manchester United fan and signed schoolboy forms with the club at the age of 14.

He announced his arrival with an audacious goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon in 1996 and was immediately crowned English football's new golden boy.

Two years later, his petulant kick at Diego Simeone - and subsequent red card - was seen as crucial to England's defeat in the last 16 and Beckham returned to an ungrateful nation and stadiums full of fans who booed his every move.

But four years later he was England's saviour with a last-gasp free kick against Greece to qualify for the 2002 tournament and played for the international team for another seven years with many of them as captain.

Off the pitch his marriage to former Spice Girl Victoria - and the arrival of four children - saw him dominated the front pages as well as the back pages.

The couple who married in July 1999 were even compared to the royal family with their Hertfordshire mansion dubbed ''Beckingham Palace''.

A steady stream of sponsorship and advertising deals saw the Beckham brand move from football to fashion with the pair regularly appearing in best-dressed lists with Beckham's ability to sell football shirts sometimes overshadowing his performances on the pitch.

Life in the public eye has not always been straight forward with reports his marriage was in trouble following his move to Real Madrid in 2003, but it did not dent his public popularity and such is his global reputation he was chosen to play a crucial part in the campaign that brought the 2012 Olympics to his home town.

A recent Press Association poll showed more than half of people asked thought the former footballer should be knighted.