Chinese football has suffered a series of setbacks in its attempts to boost worldwide and domestic popularity after 58 officials were banned for match fixing last month, including the country's top referee Lu Jun, who was sentenced to five-and-a-half years imprisonment for taking bribes worth £82,000 ($120,000/ €95,000) to fix the results of seven matches in the Chinese Super League.

Also, the biggest names to play in the league, former Chelsea stars Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, who both played for Shanghai Shenhua, fled the country in January.

Didier Drogba (left) and Nicolas Anelka (right) both left Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua in January

Beckham will attend Chinese Super League matches and visit clubs in order to help promote the game to young people in the country as part of his ambassadorial role.

"I am honoured to have been asked to play such an important role at this special time in Chinese football history," said the 37-year-old former England captain, who joined French side Paris Saint Germain in January.

"I'm excited by the prospect of promoting the world's greatest game to Chinese sports fans as I've seen first-hand the growing interest in football there,"

"This is a wonderful sport that inspires people across the world and brings families together, so I'm relishing the opportunity of introducing more fans to the game."

Beckham also served as an ambassador for the London 2012 Games in his home city after not being allocated one of Team GB boss Stuart Pearce's three over-23 positions for the Olympic tournament.

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