David Beckham admits 'it does hurt a little bit' when asked about public's view of him

Despite a trophy-laden career, David Beckham admitted that it "hurts" erstwhile immoderate see the powerfulness of his fame comes archetypal implicit his palmy footballing career

David Beckham revealed his sadness astatine the presumption the spot of his personage illustration has sometimes overpowered what helium achieved successful his footballing days.

The Manchester United fable was a perennial victor during his career, earning six Premier League titles and a historical Treble successful 1999, which included the Red Devils' archetypal Champions League triumph for 31 years.

After departing Old Trafford successful 2003, the ex-England large went connected to play for the likes of Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and PSG, wherever helium picked up further honours to adhd to his storied legacy.

It was during the second years astatine his boyhood nine wherever Beckham's planetary illustration skyrocketed arsenic he penned lucrative deals with the likes of Adidas, Emporio Armani and luxury ticker marque Tudor. He's since go a planetary brand, arsenic good arsenic co-owner of MLS broadside Inter Miami, wherever he's attracted the likes of Barcelona icons Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets.

Appearing connected the Rio Presents podcast, Beckham revealed to his erstwhile United and England team-mate, Rio Ferdinand, that the dismissal of his footballing vocation successful favour of his mammoth personage illustration by immoderate has upset him.

"I can't lie, it does wounded a small bit," the 49-year-old admitted. "Because implicit the years, it's astir apt been talked astir much than often, astir evidently that broadside of things for me.

"But I accidental it was ever gonna beryllium mentioned astatine immoderate constituent due to the fact that obviously, I had evidently the vocation that I had had, but past I had thing extracurricular of my shot arsenic good that wasn't arsenic important arsenic the football, but present it's what I do.

"So I knew that astatine immoderate constituent erstwhile I finished playing, I was gonna determination into the concern broadside of things and the things that I did during my vocation would assistance that broadside of my business, and it has. So I'm precise lucky, but obviously, I'd alternatively radical crook astir and accidental that helium was a large player, oregon a large person, oregon won what I'd won.

"But I deliberation radical are inactive starting to speech much similar that. I deliberation the documentary that I did evidently recently, I deliberation reminded radical possibly of the subordinate that I had."

Beckham went connected to diminution accusations that endorsements deals that helium signed during his vocation derailed him connected the pitch, admitting helium ever enactment his shot archetypal erstwhile it came to imaginable sponsorships.

"I deliberation that I ever look for the future," helium told Ferdinand. "Is this a bully deal? Those are the things I look at. Is this marque bully for me? Is it bully for my business? And is it going to impact my football?

"And that's the archetypal question I'd ask. Is it going to impact my football? And nary of them did. None of the deals that I did implicit my career, you know, affected maine connected the pitch. You know, radical talked astir it. Did it impact me? No."

Listen to the afloat Rio Meets Becks interrogation connected Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Join our caller WhatsApp assemblage and person your regular dose of Mirror Football content. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work our Privacy Notice.