David Beckham touches down in NYC to attend Muhammad Ali's funeral after receiving personal invite from boxing legend's family

David Beckham has landed in the US to attend the funeral of boxing legend Muhammad Ali after receiving a personal invitation from the sportsman's family.

The 41-year-old former footballer flew into JFK airport in New York following his trip to Swaziland, where he worked with Unicef to promote the plight of children living with HIV and Aids.

He will travel to the memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky, where Bill Clinton will deliver a eulogy and actor Will Smith and ex-boxer Lennox Lewis will be pallbearers. 

Beckham received a personal invitation directly from family members, crown news reported, after working with the fellow sportsman on a number of mutual charity projects.

Following the death of the star last Friday, the former England captain paid tribute on his Instagram page and captioned a photo of them together: 'The Greatest there will ever be .... The biggest and the best ..... Rest In Peace.'