Paw old Becks!

The 15-week-old pup was playing Football with his owner Chris Varney in the back garden of their New Milton home when he broke the small bone in his back paw.

But the plucky pup is now kicking with the damaged limb after he was treated by a vet and given a padded bandage.

Becks - named after the Manchester United star because he cost a lot of money - took to football as soon as he could run around.

But his career looked threatened after he limped from his back garden with his poorly paw raised in the air.

But like his namesake, he is quick-healing, and today began kicking a ball around for the first time since his injury.

Football nut Chris, 32, a graphic designer from New Milton, said: "Becks loved playing football as soon as I threw a ball at him.

"He is a natural dribbler. But a few weeks ago he suffered the same injury as David Beckham whom I named him after.

"He was running round and round after the ball and did the damage after crashing into the fence.

"He was limping badly and it was obvious he had hurt himself, so I rushed him to the vet for an immediate scan and x-ray.

"The vet told me he had broken his metatarsal and he would need to wear a bandage on his leg.

"I couldn't believe it when the vet told me the name of the bone he had broken. He didn't like wearing the bandage very much and eventually he bit it off. "But just like Beckham, he is fit and healthy and the bone healed very quickly. He seems almost fully fit now.

"He loves watching football on the telly and I just hope he gets to watch the real Becks winning the World Cup for England."

Vet Sarah Francis, of the Forest Lodge Veterinary Practice in New Milton, said: "We x-rayed the paw and found that the dog had broken his metatarsal.

"These things usually take about three weeks to knit so he should be fully recovered within the next week or so.

"We put a padded bandage on him to give him support and protection while the bone mends."