The athlete texted his pal minutes before his star ceremony to express his regrets that he couldn’t attend.

No one was more surprised than Marc Anthony when David Beckham showed up at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony.

On Thursday, the 54-year-old singer was shocked when Beckham, his pal of more than two decades, arrived to give a speech in his honor.

“I’m going to kick his a** now, because he kept it from me.

He just wrote me a text about 15 minutes ago saying, ‘Hey, congratulations. Sorry I can’t be there,”

Anthony told ET’s Cassie DiLaura after Beckham’s epic surprise. “I’m gonna kick his a**.”

Beckham was aware of Anthony’s feelings, telling ET that his friend passed along the same message when they were up on stage together.

“I mean, it’s really hard to keep anything from Marc, but it was kept a secret,” Beckham said. “I think he was happy. I think he was surprised. It went well.”

As for his relationship with Anthony, Beckham told ET, “I always tell my children how important good friends are. Marc’s been an incredible friend over the years.”

Beckham shares four kids — Brooklyn, 24, Cruz, 18, Romeo, 21, Harper, 12 — with his wife, Victoria Beckham.

Anthony is a part of the Beckham family, serving as godfather to Cruz.

“We met over 20 years ago. I was a fan of his, but now to have him as a brother, as a friend, godfather to my son, and just a friend to the family, it’s so important to have those relationships,” Beckham told ET.

“What he does for the community and what he does for his industry is really incredible.

It’s an honor for me to actually be here today to recognize what he does and who he is as a person, as a man.”

During his surprise speech, Beckham recalled his first meeting with Anthony.

“I first met Marc 20 years ago when I was playing for Real Madrid. It’s probably not a cool thing to say, but I was very starstruck when I met Marc,

Because on the way to every Real Madrid game I used to listen to his music,” the former pro soccer player said.

“I now dress a little bit like him. I learned salsa for one man only — but please don’t tell my wife.”

“When we met, we immediately had a special connection. I knew that I had a friend for life,” Beckham continued.

“Over the years our friendship has grown and Marc is family, godfather to my son, Cruz, and someone that I love to spend time with.

He is an incredible father, husband and family man, and he gives so much to the people in his life.”

Beckham went on to praise Anthony’s “energy and commitment to his craft,” noting,

“He has done so much to promote Latin music and inspire the next generation of young people.

I love to see him collaborate with young artists — for instance, like my son — and push boundaries and embrace new ideas.”

“Marc has achieved so much, but I know that he is only just getting started,” Beckham said.

“His passion for music gets stronger, and he inspires me with his drive, his energy, and his incredible work ethic. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.”

During his own speech, Anthony admitted that he was “beside myself” over the honor he was receiving.

“I’ve heard over and over again what it is to be humbled, this is absolutely humbling,” he said.

“This is sobering because I look at my family, I look at my friends, my loved ones, my daily conversations, these are the people that shaped me.

These are the people that made me. I always say it’s expensive to look this cheap. What that basically means is a lot of work goes into making it look easy, but it’s not.

I’ve counted on my friends. I’m a collection of a million hours of decisions, of conversations.”

Being honored with a star, Anthony said, got him “thinking about my kids and I’m thinking about my friends.”

The singer shares 15-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez; Ryan Adrian, 20, and Cristian Marcus, 22, with ex-wife Dayanara Torres; Chase, 28, and Ariana, 29, with Debbie Rosado.

Anthony and his wife, Nadia Ferreira, welcomed their first child together in June.

“I want to thank the fans. I want to thank my children. I want to thank my friends.

I want to thank Sony. I want to thank people who believed in me.

My godson, my babies who are not babies anymore, my baby, my beautiful friends, my wife, my team, and people that on a daily basis make me the man that I am,”

Anthony said. “I’m not standing here vacant. I’m not. I’m full. My foundation is solid because they built it, and this house will stand as long as I’m alive.”

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​Source: Tampa Bay Times