£22m bonanza for Beckham

David Beckham earned £22million last year - making him the highest-paid footballer in the world.

The soccer star raked in £17million from sponsorship deals on top of his £5million salary from Real Madrid.

Beckham's total wealth is now estimated at £65million.

The astonishing figures were revealed in the annual accounts for the England captain's UK-based company Footwork Productions.

They also reveal that Beckham's firm paid £3million in tax in 2004 and the player started the year with £2.6million cash in his personal current account.

The figures are a massive boost for the 30-year-old midfielder, proving that damaging claims of affairs with personal assistant Rebecca Loos and beautician Danielle Heath have not dented his marketability. The turnover for his company almost doubled in 2004 despite the revelations. The year before, it made less than £10million.

A source close to him said: 'This proves he is still extremely popular and still very attractive to sponsors.

'It's a huge amount of money, but it just goes to show how massive David is as a football player and a global icon.'

The £17million consists of his image rights for Real Madrid, his sponsorship income and the royalties he makes from sponsorship based on sales.

In 2004, Beckham earned an estimated £6million from Vodafone, £2million from Gillette, £1.25million from Adidas, £3million from Pepsi and £1million from Police sunglasses in addition to smaller sponsorship deals.

He is the sole shareholder of Footwork Productions. His wife Victoria is the company secretary and her father Tony Adams is one of the firm's two directors.

The company's profit before tax last year was £13.6million. The report states that Beckham hopes to make an additional £1.4million this year.

It says: 'The company's principal activity is the provision of the services of David Beckham. The directors are pleased with the result for the year.

'The company is currently renegotiating certain contracts. A successful conclusion to these negotiations is expected and this would result in additional royalty income being payable to the company of £1.4million.' A financial expert said: 'If you are David Beckham, this makes very happy reading. The business has gone from strength to strength and shows every sign of continuing.

'For a footballer who has just turned 30, getting to the end of his playing career they are absolutely amazing figures. The scandal that dogged him through 2004 has not impacted his earning potential.'

Beckham paid himself around £7million from his company's profits in 2003, but took nothing in 2004. He has since jettisoned seven smaller sponsorship deals in Britain and Japan in favour of five larger ones, including Adidas, Pepsi and Gillette.

Although he has fewer deals, they are more lucrative, a source said. Beckham earned £10million in ten days on his tour of the Far East in 2003.