David Beckham, Olympic flame headed to England

David Beckham will “collect” the Olympic flame and bring it to England as the final march to the 2012 Summer Games begins, BBC reported today.

The international soccer star will join Princess Anne and five young sport ambassadors as the flame leaves Athens on Thursday and departs for the United Kingdom.

The flame is to land Friday aboard a special British Airways flight after a five-day torch relay in Greece, birthplace of the Games.

The airplane is to land at a military base.

Beckham, now playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy, was among the delegation that helped London win the Games, The Guardian reported.

He’s also a veteran of England’s World Cup teams after a long career at Manchester United.

“Working with one of our most inspiring sports people is fitting for this hugely exciting time for the London 2012 Games,” Lord Coe, chairman of the London organizing committee, told The Guardian.

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The relay begins in Cornwall, England, on Saturday morning, The Associated Press said.

Before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium in London, the torch will pass over 8,000 miles in 70 days.

Thousands of torchbearers will escort the flame past Stonehenge, Big Ben, the white cliffs of Dover, and more.

The opening ceremonies are set for July 27, and the Games conclude on Aug. 12.

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