02 October 2023 , 06:00
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Sir Alex Ferguson disagrees with David Beckham on how worldwide fame eventually changed the former Manchester United superstar.
The midfielder became a household name after his sublime halfway-line strike versus Wimbledon back in 1996 before starring in the Red Devils' treble-winning team of 1999. However, his long-time manager at Old Trafford has now reflected on how his player's life changed in front of his eyes.
Despite being one of the most talented players of his generation, Beckham would go on to garner relentless attention for his life off the field. Much of this was due to his highly-publicised relationship with wife Victoria - who was one of the biggest stars on the planet at the time.
As one of football's most recognisable faces, his union with the Spice Girls member saw the pair dubbed 'Posh and Becks' and become one of the most famous couples in the world. Beckham's life and his incredible fame will now be covered in a new Netflix documentary about his life.
In the trailer for the four-part series, Beckham and legendary United manager Ferguson are shown offering very different answers on how that new-found fame and superstardom impacted Beckham.
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"My life had become something different," Beckham says. He later adds: "It definitely didn't change me."
The camera then pans to Ferguson, who contradicts his opinion. The straight-talking Scot instead states: "Well, he changed. There's no doubt about that."
Sir Alex Ferguson has reflected on how fame changed David Beckham's life during his time at Old Trafford (Netflix)In the series trailer, snapshots of moments from yesteryear chronicle the megastar's rise from humble beginnings in East London. It charts his transformation into one of the most scrutinised figures in sports, and touches on his infamous fall-out with Ferguson at Manchester United.
Although the pair don't see eye-to-eye on that specific issue, even two decades after Beckham departed for Real Madrid, the legendary coach's respect for his one-time player remains. Later on in the trailer, the long-serving former Red Devils boss added: "There was something inside of him, that determination."
This is not the first time Ferguson has spoken about the impact that fame had on Beckham. Speaking back in 2013, the legendary former Old Trafford boss explained that he felt his former protégée's professional life was affected by the level of intrigue surrounding his personal life.
David and Victoria Beckham would go on to become one of the most famous couples on the planet (PA)He explained: "The big problem for me, I’m a football man, he fell in love with Victoria – that changed everything. Being a football man, I had to think about where we were going for that."
Further explaining what he meant by his words, he detailed how he felt Beckham's career moves following his departure from Manchester United reflected his view. He said: "If he had asked my advice when he left Real Madrid for LA Galaxy, I would have told him exactly what I thought.
"How can you leave Real Madrid for LA Galaxy? He reinvented himself a couple of times to go to AC Milan then PSG. That’s because of his natural stamina. At the end I think he did miss the big time football."