Cristiano Ronaldo follows Becks' footsteps

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo may be setting a few female hearts racing by posing for a modelling shoot for Armani Underwear, but is the star emulating British heart-throb David Beckham?

The young sports star shows off his six-pack in the new black and white pictures for the fashion label, which he reportedly maintains by doing 3,000 sit-ups each day.

But the 24-year-old appears to be treading a path that Beckham has been down before, with the English star previously modelling for Armani in his younger days.

There are on-the-pitch similarities too, with both Beckham and Ronaldo wearing the number seven shirt for Manchester United before transferring to Real Madrid.

But Giorgio Armani is full of praise for the young footballer, who he describes as "youthful" and "sexy".

"For me, he is the essence of youth - spontaneous, exciting, a real maverick. It is for his energy that I have chosen Cristiano to become the new face of … Emporio Armani Underwear," he said.

The other new face for the brand is Megan Fox, who replaces Victoria Beckham in representing the company.

xxx Suzie Foreman