Being like David Beckham is not what children aspire to, study finds

Family friends and teachers are more likely to influence youngsters than footballers
David Beckham
The notion that footballers like David Beckham and Wayne Rooney are role models for children is a myth, a survey has found. Photograph: Dan Chung for the Guardian Dan Chung/Guardian

Their conduct on and off the pitch may sometimes cause parents to fret, but it seems the notion that footballers such as Wayne Rooney and David Beckham are role models for children is a myth.

Far from looking to star players as role models, research has suggested that youngsters are more likely to take behavioural cues from family friends or teachers.

Simon Brownhill, an education expert at the University of Derby, said children aged eight or below were unable to grasp the concept of role models.

In a survey of 178 men working in nurseries and primary schools, Brownhill found that footballers such as Rooney and others from the Premier League's elite, thought to be idolised by many children, actually have little influence.

"The results from this study suggest that children aged eight or younger are still finding their feet in the world and do not have a clear understanding of what a role model is," he said.

"The men surveyed in the study, who work with young children every day, supported the idea that children are more likely to be influenced by people who are their own age, who share the same experiences and who live close by, such as friends and family, rather than by actors or sports stars such as Wayne Rooney."

Brownhill said that men who work with children are not automatically role models, because the status has to be earned. "A friend who, for example, shows no fear when going on a fairground ride is more likely to be a role model for a youngster."