David Beckham Says He Felt Like He Was 'Drowning' at the Peak of His Fame in New Doc Trailer

The soccer icon and his wife, Victoria Beckham, share behind-the-scenes insight on how fame affected the star in the new documentary series "Beckham"

David Beckham’s meteoric rise and how he coped as an international sensation comes into sharp focus in a new documentary about the former soccer star.

In the four-part Netflix documentary Beckham, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens, the iconic athlete and his wife Victoria Beckham offer perspective on his career and how Beckham’s surging popularity affected the family life he was building with the music star and fashion designer more than 20 years ago.

Under scrutiny for his moves on the pitch and off, the footballer looks back and shares candid insight in the trailer for the doc.

“I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t sleeping, it took a toll on me that I never even knew myself,” Beckham says, regarding the fallout he suffered after an altercation with his Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson in 2003. “We were drowning.”

Related: David Beckham and Victoria Beckham's Relationship Timeline

Victoria adds: “It’s really entertaining when the circus comes to town, right? Unless you’re in it.”

Amid the rabid fans and frenzied media coverage, in one scene, a horde of cameras and paparazzi envelop the car Beckham is driving in along with his wife and young family.

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Yet despite Beckham’s unbridled fame and success on the field, his dedication to his wife and his growing family — his three sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz and daughter Harper Seven — are also on full display.

At one point, the couple looks back to their courtship in the late 90s, when the member of the Spice Girls first began dating the rising star.

“My manager kept saying, ‘Try to keep it under wraps,’ so we would meet in car parks, and that’s not as seedy as it sounds,” Victoria says.

Related: David Beckham Sports New 'Posh' Tattoo in Honor of Wife Victoria

It’s all part of the story for the boy who grew up from humble beginnings in working-class east London — “I never really did well at school because all I ever wanted to do was play football,” Beckham says — to become one of the greatest footballers of his time.

“I don’t give up easy,” he says at one point. “I don’t give up.”

Beckham begins streaming on Netflix on October 4.

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