Becks displays his affection

As he displays his latest tattoo, it seems there is no limit to David Beckham's affection for his wife Victoria.

But he must surely be running out of spare areas of skin upon which he can declare his boundless love.

The soccer star's new adornment on his crowded left forearm is an extract from the Old Testament, written in Hebrew, which says: 'I am for my beloved, and my beloved is for me, who grazes sheep in rose-like pastures.' Echoing the sentiment, Victoria is having a smaller version inscribed on her neck.

The couple have chosen the joint tattoos to commemorate their sixth wedding anniversary and to cement their devotion to the controversial Kabbalah faith.

The move has drawn comparisons with Madonna and Britney Spears - high-profile followers of Kabbalah, a mystical off-shoot of Judaism - who have Hebrew tattoos on their neck. Both David and Victoria have been seen wearing the red string bracelets worn by Kabbalah devotees to 'ward off evil spirits'.

The Old Testament extract chosen by the Beckhams is used to explain how God loves the Jewish people like a shepherd who is so devoted to his flock that he would graze them in rich pastures.

Beckham, 30, already has over a dozen tattoos and the latest inscription appears to be jostling for space above a previous one which spells 'Victoria' in Hindi. As well as Hebrew and Hindi, Beckham's-body art features Latin phrases and the Roman numeral for seven, his England and former Manchester United shirt number.

He also has the names of his three children Brooklyn, six, Romeo, two, and five-monthold Cruz and a guardian angel on his back, a cross on the nape of his neck, and three cherubs on his arms.

His wife is catching him up, however, having previously had his initials inscribed on her wrist and five stars representing the five members of her family on the base of her back.