A new documentary delves into the life of David Beckham – half of one of the world’s most photographed and iconic couples.
The new Netflix four-part series, titled Beckham, follows the former midfielder’s rise to football stardom through interviews with his wife Victoria, and other famous faces.
Here are more details on that revelation and other insights into their lives from the series.
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David Beckham speaks to Sky News
The infamous boot incident
Beckham, now 48, came through the ranks at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and went on to become a global superstar.
But the winger and his manager had a number of well-documented stormy moments – and Beckham was eventually sold to Real Madrid.
Sir Alex infamously kicked a boot into Beckham’s face during one row.
Beckham reveals in the documentary his former boss kicked a boot at him after he told him to “f*** off”.
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It also emerges the boot belonged to former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who went on to manage United himself.
The boot incident happened after United lost an FA Cup fifth-round tie 2-0 to rivals Arsenal – ending their hopes of a domestic double, or treble.
According to the Daily Mail, Beckham says of the incident: “We walked in the changing room and the boss is fuming. I can see it by his face.
“And when you see the boss’s face like this, you don’t want to be anywhere near him. It is a face that no one can do, trust me.
“[He was effing and blinding] and I went back at the boss and said ‘no’ and then I swore. I said the f-word.
“And then I saw him change, and I was like, ‘s***, I really shouldn’t have said that’. I think I said the f-word too many times.”
Image: Beckham required stitches after the infamous boot incident
Image: Beckham arriving at Man United’s Carrington training centre after the incident
The midfielder was later seen sporting the injury during training.
Sir Alex tells the documentary makers: “I kicked the boot at his head. I mean, honestly, it was an absolute freak.”
When he is asked about the photos, he replies: “Yeah I’m not going to talk about that. The only thing I will say is that I think that was stage-managed. It wasn’t even worth a stitch.”
Image: Victoria and David Beckham pictured in Monaco in August 1999. Pic: AP
Ferguson: David’s relationship with Victoria ‘changed’ him
The pair also clashed over his relationship with Victoria – and David’s rising celebrity status – with the couple being dubbed “Posh and Becks” because of Victoria’s nickname in the girl band the Spice Girls.
According to The Sun, David says: “I knew my career was going to come to an end at some point and I wanted a career after football – that ate away at the manager.
“He just wanted me to be the best footballer that I could be and be married to a local girl that wasn’t a superstar.”
Image: The couple appeared on a German TV show in 2001
According to the Daily Mirror, he concedes his “life had become something different”, and later adds: “It definitely didn’t change me.”
But when Sir Alex is asked about it, the straight-talking Scot tells the documentary: “Well, he changed. There’s no doubt about that.”
Beckham also reveals his heartbreak after having to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid the following season.
According to the Mail, he says in the documentary he asked to speak to Sir Alex, but was told: “He doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Beckham says: “I said, ‘I need to speak to the boss, I need to know this is really what he wants’, and I pleaded to not go. I couldn’t get in contact with the boss.
“Did I ever want to leave Man United? No, never.
‘It was my home. My relationship with the boss was always special. We had our moments, but I still loved him.”
Image: Beckham kisses Victoria as he holds his OBE in 2003. Pic: AP
Sir Alex says their relationship “was at a stalemate”.
“There was not going to be any point in me saying to David, ‘I’m selling you’,” he added.
“The decision was made, it was better he went.
“He didn’t need to go. He could have stayed if he wanted. I think he knew it was the right time.”
Impact of David’s alleged affair with Rebecca Loos
In another revelation, Victoria finally speaks out about the “hardest period” of her marriage – the time David was accused of having an affair with his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos.
She says she was “the most unhappy I have ever been” during the aftermath of the alleged infidelity which is said to have happened in 2003 while he was playing for Real Madrid.
The couple have always denied the claims.
According to The Sun, in extracts of the documentary shared with the paper, Victoria tells of how the allegations impacted their relationship.
“It was the hardest period because it felt like the world was against us,” she says.
“Here’s the thing – we were against each other if I’m being completely honest.
“You know, up until Madrid sometimes it felt like us against everybody else but we were together, we were connected, we had each other.
“But when we were in Spain, it didn’t really feel like we had each other either.
“And that’s sad. I can’t even begin to tell you how hard it was and how it affected me. It was a nightmare.
“It was an absolute circus – and everyone loves it when the circus comes to town, right? Unless you’re in it.”
Image: David Beckham’s former personal assistant Rebecca Loos
When the 49-year-old is asked if she “resented” her husband, she replies: “If I’m being totally honest, yes I did. It was the most unhappy I have ever been in my entire life.”
The woman the former England captain and Manchester United star was accused of having an affair with is not named in the documentary, according to the newspaper.
David also addresses the allegations, saying: “There was some horrible stories which were difficult to deal with.
“It was the first time that me and Victoria had been put under that kind of pressure in our marriage.”
How Posh told Becks she was pregnant before World Cup match
The couple had their first child Brooklyn in March 1999 – and they are also parents to Romeo, Cruz and Harper.
Image: (L-R) Mia Regan, Romeo Beckham, Cruz Beckham, Harper Beckham, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham
In the documentary, Victoria reveals she dropped the news of her first pregnancy to David the night before his England side played Argentina at the 1998 World Cup – during which her husband was famously shown a red card.
Beckham was sent off during the match with Argentina, after kicking Diego Simeone – a game that England went on to lose in a penalty shoot-out.
Victoria made the call to David while she was in Brooklyn, New York.
According to the Mirror, she says: “I told David the night before the game.
“He was so, so happy, we both were and there was never any doubt in my mind that I should tell him.
“I mean, it was what we wanted and he could not have been happier.”
Image: Beckham with son Brooklyn at Old Trafford in May 2000
She is asked: “So you tell him right before the biggest game of his life – did you think it would help him?”
Victoria replies: “I don’t really know.”
David then says: “Before the Argentina game, she phoned me and said I’ve just taken a test and I’m pregnant. So I found out then.
“The first thing I wanted to do (was get out of there and be with Victoria) but I couldn’t, we were in a major tournament.”
Image: Victoria Beckham and son Brooklyn in 2004
1998 World Cup red card left David ‘clinically depressed’
Victoria also reveals David was left “clinically depressed” after his red card at the 1998 World Cup.
The couple talk about the abuse they had levelled at them in the late 1990s as a result of the sending-off.
After the game, an effigy of Beckham hung in a pub, and during the following season, Manchester United’s team bus was pelted with rocks and pint glasses at an away game at West Ham.
Victoria says: “He was absolutely broken. He was in pieces.
“He was really depressed, absolutely clinically depressed.
“It pained me so much… I still want to kill these people.”
Image: Sir Alex Ferguson (R) congratulates Beckham (C) and Roy Keane after winning the Premiership title at Old Trafford in May 1999
Image: The pair at at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona on the eve of their Champions League victory in May 1999 which saw them win the treble
Image: Beckham came through the ranks at Manchester United under Sir Alex
David adds: “I don’t think I have ever talked about it, just because I can’t. I find it hard to talk through what I went through because it was so extreme.
“Wherever I went, I got abused every single day.
“To walk down the street and to see people look at you in a certain way, spit at you, abuse you, come up to your face and say some of the things they said, that is difficult.
“I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t sleeping. I was a mess. I didn’t know what to do.
“The boss (Alex Ferguson) called me. He said ‘David, how are you doing?’ I think I got quite emotional. He said ‘how are you doing, son?’. I said ‘not great boss’. He said ‘OK, don’t worry about it, son’.
“That was the only thing I could control, once I was on the pitch, then I felt safe.”
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Image: Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Image: Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Image: Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Image: Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Image: Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
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Image: Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
Just Stop Oil (JSO) insists it’s been “successful” – as its members ceremoniously hang up their orange high-vis vests during a march in central London.
Since the group formed three years ago, it’s drawn attention and criticism for its colourful, controversial protests, which ranged from disrupting sporting events to throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and climbing on gantries over the M25. It sprayed orange paint over Stonehenge, and cost police forces tens of millions of pounds.
Those days are now behind it; to the relief of many.
As a few hundred activists marched through London on Saturday, blocking roads as they went; taxi drivers blared their horns and football fans shouted abuse from the pavement.
The PA News Agency filmed the moment a white minivan seemed to drive towards a group of protesters blocking the road.
Protesters shouted “I’m being pushed back!” to police, while the driver could be heard shouting “What about my right to get home?” to the officers gathered.
But JSO never set out to be popular. And it believes its tactics – though hated – have been successful; thanks to the new Labour government’s commitment to not issue new oil or gas exploration licences.
That’s why, it says, its ceasing direct action.
Image: JSO hangs up its high-vis jackets in central London on Saturday
Image: A washing line of high-vis jackets signifies JSO’s disbanding
“This moment marks the success of the JSO campaign – our demand was to end new oil and gas licences and that is now government policy.
“As a result of which four billion barrels of oil are being kept under the North Sea. The campaign has reached a natural end.”
Dr Oscar Berglund, senior lecturer in international public and social policy, disagrees that JSO is disappearing because it’s been “successful”.
He told Sky News policing strength and public perception might have more to do with it.
“They have very low levels of popularity. About 17% of the British population are kind of broadly supportive of what Just Stop Oil do. And that’s too low to recruit.
“It’s difficult to recruit members to something that is that unpopular, and then that a lot of people for good reason I think have kind of stopped believing in that kind of disruption as a means to achieve meaningful change.”
Group triggers specific new protest laws
One thing it did change is the law.
Policing commentator Graham Wettone tells us: “Obstruction of the highway, obstruction of rail networks for example, these are specific offences now.
“It’s given the police more tactics, more methods, more offences they can consider, even stopping and searching somebody who may have something to either lock themselves on or glue themselves to something.”
Image: A JSO activist holds a picture of an imprisoned colleague
Emma Smart was held in prison for her activism with both Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.
“The high-vis might be going away,” she tells me, “but we aren’t.”
“These people aren’t going anywhere, we are still committed, dedicated, terrified by the failings of this government and governments around the world.”
Image: JSO activists throw orange paint at van Gogh’s sunflowers
Image: Orange smoke set off by JSO protesters at Stonehenge
She hopes for a time of reflection before it returns in a new form but says the need for climate activism is stronger than ever.
She also believes that while most people dislike JSO tactics, it still raises awareness of the cause and might even push people to more moderate campaign groups.
Just Stop Oil came behind other, similarly controversial climate campaign groups like Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion, and as it says goodbye, its disruptive methods have been seized upon by other organisations like the Pro-Palestinian Youth Justice.
The infamous Just Stop Oil orange vests might be going away, but the individual activists, their cause and campaign tactics feel here to stay.