When he finally got to the store, Beckham had company.

"I was still a little shaken from the kidnapping thing at the time," he said, smiling. "And I turn up at a shop and there's 2,000 people there. It was pretty amazing, it just rounded my day off when someone nicked my hat, as well."

With key England forward Wayne Rooney under an injury cloud, Beckham hasn't faced the same intense scrutiny as at previous tournaments ¡ª something he's happy with.

"It doesn't change the way I prepare for games or prepare for training or the way I feel, because the spotlight on my life is there every day," he said. "It is there to a certain extent, but it's not been as much in this tournament."

Besides, he has his release: playing soccer.

"I've always been quite relaxed playing football," he said. "It's where I feel happiest, it's where I feel safest, on the football pitch."