David Beckham showed just why as he brought his hunk appeal to the cover of the July 2012 issue of ELLE UK.

The 37-year-old soccer star looked studly in a casual top for the Doug Inglish shot front page while turning up the heat in a soaking wet shirtless snap included in the accompanying spread.

Set to hit newsstands on Wednesday, May 30th, Becks' appearance makes him the first male ever to grace the publication's cover solo - an accomplishment in which the "honored" LA Galaxy pro found "really exciting".

Of the selection for the July 2012 issue, ELLE UK Editor-in-chief Lorraine Candy told, "David Beckham is a national hero... He is an icon and Elle is known for featuring icons on its cover. This is a first for us on the newsstand and I believe he is loved by men and women alike."

Miss Candy further explained, "Anyway, who doesn’t want to see a picture of one of the world’s most handsome men on the front cover of a magazine? It will be a collector’s issue."