David Beckham hopes his Netflix documentary shines a light on the importance of mental health.

The 49-year-old former soccer star faced a huge amount of criticism from fans

and pundits during his playing days, and David hopes that some lessons have been learned from his experience.

The former England captain – who released ‘Beckham’ in 2023 – told Variety: “I think that my takeaway from my documentary was how important mental health is.

Because, 20 years ago, nobody was talking about it. And nobody was taking it seriously.

“Now, it’s so great that people can actually talk about their feelings.”

David confessed to being hurt by some of the comments made about himself and his wife, Victoria.

He shared: “There were many things said about us over the 27 years. It can be hurtful.”

Despite this, David recognises that he still has a lot to be “thankful for”.

The sporting icon – who played for the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid – said: “I was never one of these people that was going to sit back and complain.

“I was very fortunate to live the life that I did through my career. And I’m so thankful for that.”

Meanwhile, David has admitted to feeling proud of his children, insisting that they’re not affected by their own fame.

The soccer legend observed that his kids are all “humble” and “passionate” people.

David – who has Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, Cruz, 19, and Harper, 12, with Victoria – said: “They’re humble, hardworking, passionate. They’ve got drive. And ultimately, they’re good human beings.

“Living the life that they’ve lived, living in different countries, being around the whole circus that went on for our life, they could have been a lot different.”