David Beckham has revealed that the perception his career off the field came second to his one on it ‘does hurt a little bit’.

Beckham is one of the greatest players England has ever produced, captaining the side, and came second in the Ballon d’Or vote in 1999, the year he won a treble with Manchester United.

The 49-year-old is regarded as one of the most accurate crossers of a ball and was renowned for his dead ball abilities – skills which saw him become the first Englishman to win titles in four different countries.

Beckham was appearing the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast when he was asked his former team-mate about the view that his football career comes secondary to his celebrity profile.

‘I can’t lie, it does hurt a little bit,’ Beckham admitted. ‘Because over the years, it’s probably been talked about more than often, about obviously that side of things for me.

David Beckham appeared on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast to discuss his career beyond football with his former team-mate
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David Beckham appeared on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast to discuss his career beyond football with his former team-mate

Beckham (left) is one of the finest wingers in the history of both Man United and England
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Beckham (left) is one of the finest wingers in the history of both Man United and England

‘But I suppose it was always going to be mentioned at some point because obviously, I had obviously the career that I had had, but then I had something outside of my football as well that wasn’t as important as the football, but now it’s what I do.

‘So I knew that at some point when I finished playing, I was going to move into the business side of things and the things that I did during my career would help that side of my business, and it has. So I’m very lucky, but obviously, I’d rather people turn around and say that he was a great player, or a great person, or won what I’d won.

‘But I think people are still starting to talk more like that. I think the documentary that I did recently reminded people maybe of the player that I was.’

Beckham was one of the first high-profile players to truly embrace the idea of modelling contracts, brand deals and sponsorships beyond football, partnering with Brylcreem in 1997 in a deal worth around £4million.

His marriage to Spice Girls singer Victoria further enhanced his celebrity status beyond his exploits on the pitch, and the two become one of the most famous couples in the country.

With his growing profile off the field, the demands from sponsors and brands also increased, which inevitably many would view as having an impact on his playing career.

However the former England skipper insists that none of his ventures outside of his playing career did affect his game.

Beckham insisted that his brand deals beyond the playing field did not have an impact on his career
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Beckham was one of the first players to really embrace the world of sponsorships and brand deals
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Beckham insisted that his brand deals beyond the playing field did not impact on his career

‘I think that I always look for the future. Is this a good deal?… those are the things I look at. Is this brand good for me? Is it good for my business? And is it going to affect my football? And that’s the first question I’d ask. Is it going to affect my football?’ he added.

‘And none of them did. None of the deals that I did over my career, you know, affected me on the pitch. You know, people talked about it. did it affect me? No.’

Since hanging up his boots, Beckham has remained involved in football, forming his own Major League Soccer franchise, Inter Miami.

The Florida-based side have signed some of the European game’s all-time greats in the last 18 months, including Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.