DAVID Beckham, the Duchess of Cambridge and Harpenden’s very own Paralympic star David Clarke took to the stage on Sunday when Lord Sebastian Coe received a lifetime achievement gong at the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

The newly-retired captain of Britain’s blind football squad has spoken of his surprise when he was asked to appear on stage in front of thousands at the prestigious ceremony just before Olympic chairman Lord Coe was presented with the trophy.

David, 42, said: “It was quite humbling to be stood hearing Seb Coe’s voice coming through the speakers but realising he was five metres to my right. It was one of the most iconic moments in Sports Personality of the Year history.”

And this week the dad-of-two was presented with his own special award at the Hertfordshire Service to Sports Awards for his services to blind football.

David, who led his team to a Top 10 finish at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, added: “It was a great end to a fantastic year. It is a year I will never forget.”