Inside the Beckham family album: David takes fans on a cute trip down memory lane with throwback snaps in new Netflix series (including a few Victoria would rather forget!)
David Beckham gave fans a glimpse inside his family album as he reflected on his life and career in his new docuseries.
The former footballer, 48, spoke at length about the struggles he faced on the pitch and meeting his wife Victoria in the Netflix four-part show, BECKHAM.
Illustrating the programme were a series of adorable throwback snaps of David brushing up his football skills as a child as well as a series of shots of Victoria.
While the designer, 49, famously doesn’t smile much anymore, she would no doubt struggle not to laugh at some of the expressions she pulled back in her Spice Girls heyday.
It wasn’t all lighthearted though as elsewhere in the documentary David choked back tears as he discussed his mental health struggles.
Inside the Beckham family album: David took fans on a cute trip down memory lane with throwback snaps in his new Netflix docuseries BECKHAM (pictured with son Brooklyn)
Spice up your camera roll! While Victoria famously doesn’t smile anymore she would no doubt struggle not to laugh at some of the expressions she pulled back in her Spice Girls heyday
It was meant to be: David took up football as a young child and there’s plenty of evidence of him showing off his skills as a little one
The sportsman burst into the limelight at the tender age of 17 as Manchester United’s budding new midfielder, quickly earning himself the reputation as football’s golden boy and one of the most talented players of his generation.
Yet his career threatened to be derailed when he was blamed for England’s World Cup 1998 exit after lashing out at Diego Simeone , sparking a lengthy campaign of hate and abuse from fans.
Reflecting on the turbulent period, which David faced at the age of just 23, the athlete confessed he was a ‘mess’ and left unable to eat or sleep, with his wife Victoria revealing he suffered from clinical depression and the experience ‘broke’ him.
David recalled feeling ‘very vulnerable and alone’ as he landed back in the UK to hordes of jeering spectators and negative press, with his father Ted admitting David was ‘distraught’ when he met him, saying the young sports star ‘fell into my arms and said, “I’ve left everybody down.”‘
The night before the World Cup game, David had learnt that Victoria was pregnant with their first child and after touching down in England to see his parents he wasted no time jetting off to New York to spend time with his expectant fiancée – who was touring the States with The Spice Girls .
Victoria confessed: ‘I remember not really understanding how serious it was because you know I’ve never really been into football.
‘When he came to me in America he felt he let himself down, he let his teammates down, he let his country down, he let the fans down, me – he felt he let everybody down.
‘But when he was with us Spice Girls there was protection, people couldn’t get to us, we could put a cotton wool around us.
‘I don’t think either of us really realised what was going on in the UK. He went from having that protection into absolute carnage.’
Not so posh! Victoria also opened up her family album to share an adorable childhood snap
Spice Girls days: She was seen belting out lyrics during Spice Girls rehearsals
He got it from his mama: While David was taught how to play football by dad David, his mother Sandra also got involved playing sports with the kids
Angelic: By his own admission David didn’t do well at school but he still gave it his all
Sweet: David was always seen wearing a football kit in his childhood
Eye on the ball: His dad would take him out for training sessions on a daily basis
Sweet: He enjoyed time outside being active with his beloved football
Family fun: David and his siblings Joanne and Lynne would always play with their father
Adorable: The family showed off their sweet snaps from the family album
Growing emotional as he reflected on the backlash he received, David confessed: ‘I don’t think I’ve ever talked about it because I can’t.
‘I find it hard to talk about what I went through because it was so extreme. The whole country hated me.’
Detailing the horrific abuse – which became so bad that he was unable to visit the toilet unattended for fear of being attacked on the way – David continued: ‘Wherever I went, I got abused every day.
‘To walk down the street and see people look at you a certain way, spit at you, abuse you, come up to your face and say some of the things that they said, that’s difficult.
‘I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t sleeping, I was a mess.’
David, who received death threats and had effigies made in his likeness, went on to detail the impact it had on his parents, Ted and Sandra, noting: ‘It brought a lot of attention that I would never wish on anyone, let alone my parents and I can’t forgive myself for that.
‘That’s the tough part that happened then. I’m 47 years old now and I beat myself up about it still. Inside it killed me.’
As David’s teammate Phil Neville spoke out about the ‘inhumane’ way David was treated by the nation, Victoria remarked: ‘He was really depressed, clinically depressed.
Baby joy: The couple were delighted when they welcomed first son Brooklyn on March 4, 1999 at Portland Hospital in London, with David calling fatherhood ‘the most amazing thing’
Inside the wedding album: The couple gave fans a glimpse at never before seen footage
Bold look: The pair wore purple ensembles for their big day while the guests wore black
Smitten: David was ‘addicted’ to Victoria when the pair first met in 1997 and they have been loved up ever since
Football fun: Their first meeting took place when Victoria and her bandmate Mel C attended a Manchester United game and were invited onto the pitch
‘It pained me so much. I still want to kill these people [for how they treated him].’
Victoria also took aim at the 1998 World Cup manager Glen Hoddle, seething: ‘He didn’t come out and try to protect David and how old was David, 23?
‘You’re a kid at 23 and Glen Hoddle was a man – well I wouldn’t even call him a man actually, he was an older person – I mean the absolute hate, public bullying…’
Thankfully, David was able to redeem himself when he took on Diego once again at the Manchester United vs Inter Milan Champions League quarter final in 1999.
BECKHAM is available to stream on Netflix.
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