David Beckham: A Footballer’s Story

BECKHAM: "IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO TRUST PEOPLE" AND "I WILL END MY CAREER AT REAL MADRID"

David Beckham reveals that he finds it "impossible" to trust anyone in an exclusive ITV1 documentary to be screened Tuesday 23rd May ITV1, and also confirms that, failing a return to Old Trafford, he will finish his playing career at Real Madrid.

David Beckham: A Footballer’s Story, also sees Beckham open up on how he felt disowned by Alex Ferguson, cried when told he was to leave his beloved Manchester United and also reveal how he and his family now have no plans to leave Spain: "I want to settle down here, my family’s happy here, I’m happy playing football here".

In this exclusive ITV1 documentary, Beckham gives presenter Tim Lovejoy unprecedented access into his everyday life, and says "at the end of my career I want to be known as a player that’s played at a top level and for the best teams."

Allowing cameras into his life in the build up to the World Cup, Beckham answers his critics who argue that he is in the England team as a commercial imperative and talks about how he is determined to carve a legacy for himself and give something back with the football academies that he has launched for children.

Looking forward to the World Cup he talks about how he loves leading England out as Captain, and will continue to do so for as long as he can, and hints that in his opinion, Brazil will be England’s main threat.

Off the pitch, Beckham and his family endure constant media attention and Lovejoy asks whether this takes its toll, making it difficult to trust people.

Beckham responds: "It’s impossible to trust people for me. And I don’t like it being like that, I’m not that sort of person. But I’ve been made into that sort of person because there’s been so many things and so many people, not let me down but just sold lies on me , and I think that’s the tough part to do. Because we could be suing people every week, every day there’s a different story that is not true."

Asked by Lovejoy if Real Madrid would be a fitting place to end his career, Beckham answers: "I think so, yeah. I think so. Because at the end of my career, I want to be known as a player that’s played at a top level, for the best teams, and they don’t come much better and bigger than Manchester United and Real Madrid."

"The only club I would ever have gone to apart from Manchester United was here (Real Madrid.) There are other great clubs in England of course, there’s Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. There are other clubs..but there are no other clubs that I would rather play for in England anymore. It’s here or Manchester United that’s the way I feel about the situation to be honest."

When asked about how he feels stepping onto the turf at the hallowed Bernabeu stadium to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, Beckham says: "I think to play in this stadium is so special, it’s so special, you know, it’s like playing at Old Trafford. You get that feeling of you never want to come off the pitch."

Lovejoy suggests to Beckham that while he now loves playing for Real, it must have hurt back in 2003 to have been told by Alex Ferguson that he was no longer wanted at Manchester United.

Lovejoy:

"Do you think you could have stayed at Man United all your life?"

Beckham:

"Yeah, without a doubt. I expected to, and we thought I always would."

Beckham looks serious and reflective as he continues: "People were saying that I was having talks, I was already talking to Real Madrid. I never talked to Real Madrid until I actually got the phone call to say, you know, the club want to sell you. That’s the first time I spoke to Madrid about that. And, I never ever expected to leave United."

Lovejoy:

"Did it hurt that the guy that’s brought you into the team, made you who you are, kept your feet on the ground when you scored the goal against Greece, protected you, looked after you suddenly doesn’t want you?"

Beckham replies: "A lot, a lot. I think that’s what hurt at the time, because as I said, everyone knows that I’m a Man United fan, Man U mad. You know, I think at the time, when I’d signed for Real Madrid, and when I got home, I think I actually cried because, you know, it was Man United, it was a team that I’d been at for my whole life."

Settled now in Spain, Beckham says that he has no plans to leave, and this is something that is echoed by his wife Victoria.

Beckham:

"We’ve finally found a house that we like here. We’ve found an area that we like it’s in the same area where the kids’ school is. You know, everything’s settled down. I think it’s important for people in Spain, in Madrid, to see that I’m actually - you know, I want to learn the language, I want to settle down here, my children are happy here, I’m happy playing football here." Speaking to Victoria, Lovejoy asks the same question: "I’ve been to your house [in Spain] and it’s beautiful and you both look quite settled here but it’s only a short term thing isn’t it? Because eventually, David will retire and you’ll go back to England?"

Victoria: "I’m not sure we would now and no-one’s more surprised than me about saying this but I don’t want to go back right now. We’ve got our house, we’ve got a nice set of friends, the kids are happy."

Beckham lives under constant media scrutiny, and when Lovejoy asks how he copes with such attention and the pressure that comes with it, he finds that the England captain finds escapism in the most mundane of daily tasks.

Lovejoy:

"How do you think your relationship is with the press?"

David:

"I think it’s quite good. You know, I think I’ve had my ups and downs like most people but you know, of the bad stuff that’s been written about me, most of it is my personal life, and you know, people don’t know me so they can write what they want about me as a person."

As they chat over lunch in Beckham’s favourite Madrid restaurant, Lovejoy explores Beckham’s relationship with the Press further, and also how his fame affects his everyday life.

Lovejoy:

"You can’t just pop out for a pint of milk can you?"

Grinning as he sips a glass of red wine Beckham says: "Not really. I do like to do normal things. I love going food shopping, love doing shopping."He continues: "Like we’re moving into our new house, so I went the other day to get all the utensils and the new kettle and I love doing things like that."

On another occasion as he drives to work, Beckham goes on to explain why driving is so relaxing for him.

He explains: "Driving is a release for me. It’s a bit of normality, something that nearly every person does every day. Drive to work so that’s my way of having some normality in my life. If possible, like going to the grocery store things like that."

The ITV1 documentary was filmed over the period of five months, and during this time, Beckham hit the headlines all over the world because of a conversation he’d had with Lovejoy during filming. The headlines reported that the football star suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder.

The origin of the story was an interview with Beckham in his favourite Madrid restaurant.

Beckham:

"I’ve got this obsessive compulsive disorder, where I have to have everything in a straight line, or everything has to be in pairs, or you know, I’ll put my Pepsi cans in the fridge and if there’s one too many then I’ll put it in another cupboard somewhere, I’ve got that problem."

Lovejoy:

"Is it a superstition thing?"

Beckham jokily replies: "No, I don’t think it is now. I think it’s a problem."

Lovejoy took the opportunity to ask Beckham about how he felt, when a light hearted conversation about being very tidy and clean turned into a worldwide story.

Lovejoy:

"You’ve been made out in the Sunday papers about your OCD that you’re sort of slightly mental and strange and a weirdo. And it’s all been taken slightly out of context. How does that make you feel?"

Beckham:

"I think a lot of things happen like that. You know, when people have not actually seen you say it, and actually seen the situation and seen you’re having a laugh and a joke. You know, the papers take it all out of context and make it into a big, ‘Oh, he’s mad, he’s a bit of a weirdo’. It’s become sort of part of my life, really. You know, a lot of things that have happened or not happened in my life, and then it gets documented in the papers and blown up and put out the wrong way."

Lovejoy

also puts other newspaper rumours to Beckham, including one report that he never wears the same pair of trainers twice. This rumour, unlike many others, is true.

Lovejoy:

"I heard a rumour that you never wear a pair of trainers twice, that every time you put a pair of trainers on, they’re a brand new paid. Is that true?"

Beckham:

"Er, that’s nearly true."

He continues: "Yeah. But you know, all my mates and some of my family, they all take the trainers. It’s not as if I just throw them away."

Beckham also discusses his tattoos, which have been the subject of probably thousands of column inches over the years.

Lovejoy:

"Are tatoo’s addictive?"

Beckham:

"Very. Very."

He continues: "Funnily enough, I know it sounds weird, I actually enjoy the pain. At first it hurts, but then, you know, you start to enjoy the pain. The only one that was a bit sore was the one on my neck which also caused a large controversy and people saying what is he doing? Has he totally lost it? And then people turn round and say, you know, people have tattoos because they’re not sure of themselves, or other things. You know there’s a whole thing around tattoos.

Lovejoy:

"Why do you have them?"

Beckham:

"It’s a personal thing for me, it’s not something for everyone else. Everyone can see them, of course, but it’s a personal thing for me. You know, when I do decide to do something, doesn’t matter what anyone says about that, whether they’ll like it or not, you know, I do it."

In discussion with Lovejoy, looking through his football memorabilia, now stored at his London Football Academy, Beckham recalls some of his most memorable moments in football, and reveals that the qualifier against Greece, which put England into the 2002 World Cup, was one of the most emotional days of his career.

The events after the match reveal that the response of manager Alex Ferguson brought Beckham quickly back down to earth.

Lovejoy:

"When you reach an ultimate high like that, is there a down which comes with it?"

Beckham:

"Oh yeah. I had that the morning after when I went in for training with United, and Ferguson was like, ‘Okay, it’s a goal’."

He also reveals that while he’s not planning a special haircut for this year’s World Cup, his famous Mohican didn’t go down well with manager Ferguson either.

Beckham grins as he relays the anecdote: "He told me to shave it off. He come over, he said..’What the..what is that?’ And he went and got me a razor. I think it was Fabian Bartez’s hair clipper and he said ‘Go and get it off now’. So I was in Wembley, in the toilet, shaving my hair."

Considering his place as England captain for this year’s World Cup, Beckham responds to those that argue that he is in the team as a commercial imperative, and this is something that affects Sven Goran Erricsson’s selection.

Beckham:

"If he thought I wasn’t good enough to be in the team he’s professional enough, he’s experienced enough to turn round and pick the team himself. He doesn’t have to be told by any person who he has to play."

Aiming to lead England to glory, Beckham hints that he thinks Brazil are going to be the biggest threat, he names his favourite player as French superstar Zidane:

"The Brazilians are great. Like Ronaldo's unbelievable, they're all unbelievable, but for me, Zidane does things that are like.. He's got so much respect through the changing room."

Interviewed in the documentary are friends and family of David including footballers Gary Neville and John Terry, actor Ray Winstone and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, and as people who know him, each give their view on David Beckham the man, and what he means to them, and the country as a footballer.

Watching Beckham play a home game at the Bernabeu, his wife’s comments give a real insight into the admiration she feels for her husband."He’s so talented. I mean, I always say to him ‘God, I wish I was that talented’, and he says ‘You are’. You know, I’m not the best singer, the best dancer, I will always admit that, but to have that natural talent like he has, it’s fantastic."

After the game, Lovejoy travels home with the Beckham’s, and as he drives, David thinks back over his career:

"In the past ten years I’ve probably been through a lot of ups and downs, in football and in life, and I’ve come out of it and I’m still England captain and I’m still playing for one of the biggest, if not the biggest club in the world. I’m married, I’ve got three beautiful sons, you know, life could not be better but I know having been through it how quickly that can change."

Victoria chips in: "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger David."

"You’re right, well said," he grins.

"It’s nearly killed me a few times," Victoria quickly responds with a laugh.

David quips back: "It’s nearly killed all of us. It’s nearly killed our whole family."

His present priority might be to bring home the World Cup but Beckham’s passion for the game in general is apparent as he considers his future: "I want to carry on playing for the country and leading England out as much as possible and as many games as possible. I’d love to get Sir Bobby Moore or Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of caps. I’d love to reach that number of caps."

David Beckham: A Footballer’s Story airs Tuesday May 23 at 9pm ITV1