David Beckham lifts lid on two issues that frustrated Sir Alex Ferguson after meeting Victoria

David Beckham claims legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wanted him to concentrate on his career and marry a “local girl” after he first got together with Victoria.

Beckham was one of Ferguson’s most important players at United during the late nineties and early noughties, but he became a global celebrity after marrying Victoria in 1999. The singer, affectionately known as ‘Posh Spice’, was part of the Spice Girls.

Ferguson sold Beckham to Real Madrid in 2003, just months after he kicked a boot at the player’s head. Their relationship had deteriorated in the lead up to the transfer, with Ferguson later claiming his “application level had dropped” in his autobiography.

Beckham was asked about his relationship with Ferguson in his new four-part Netflix documentary called ‘Beckham’. The former England captain was happy to tell his side of events, with Ferguson also contributing to the eagerly-anticipated docuseries.

“Well he (Beckham) changed, there is no doubt about that,” said Ferguson in ‘Beckham’. “Media attention he was getting and becoming a celebrity was different from what I wanted. Getting David to keep his feet on the ground became more difficult.”

Yet Beckham disagrees with that verdict. Beckham, who also played for LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain during his career, claims that fame “definitely didn’t change me” and wanted to become a celebrity to have a post-football career.

Beckham explained: “I didn’t want anything to come in the way of the football but I knew my career was going to end at some point. And I wanted to have a career after football and that ate away at the manager, he just wanted me to be the best footballer I could be and be married to a local girl that wasn’t a superstar.”

Ferguson was critical of Beckham’s desire for fame in his 2013 autobiography, published shortly after his retirement. He wrote: “David was the only player I managed who chose to be famous, who made it his mission to be known outside of the game.”

Funnily enough, Beckham’s playing career ended at the same time as Ferguson’s managerial carer. Ferguson won another 16 trophies after Beckham’s Old Trafford exit – including five Premier League titles, the Champions League and Club World Cup.

In comparison, Beckham won just seven trophies during that time – one La Liga title, one Ligue 1 title, two MLS Cups, two MLS Supporters’ Shields and the Spanish Super Cup. Yet he did establish himself as one of the most famous people on the planet.

Beckham’s relationship with Victoria has also gone from strength to strength. The ex-footballer insists he “fancied” the pop star after the “first time” he spoke to her and has recalled the time he told team-mate Gary Neville about his intentions to marry her.

Beckham remembered: “I turned round to Gary and I said, ‘See that one there, I’m gonna marry that one’. And kind of when you know we’re laughing and joking, I’m like, ‘No, I’m gonna marry that one. The posh one the one in the black dress’.”