David Beckham is one of the most famous soccer players in the world, and it certainly doesn’t hurt his popularity that he’s married to fashionista and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. The new Netflix docuseries Beckham dives deep into David’s life and career, including the early days of his relationship with Posh Spice. It turns out the footballer was very committed to spending as much time as possible with her, despite their busy careers, and I can’t fathom the time and money his travels must have cost.
The former Manchester United player and Victoria Beckham started dating in 1997, announced their engagement a year later and were married in 1999. Maybe the work that David Beckham put into developing their relationship all those years ago has paid off, as the Spice Girl revealed in the first episode of the four-part series (available with a Netflix subscription) the lengths he would go to see her when her group was on tour, saying:
He used to do anything to just try and spend time with me. He would sometimes charter a tiny, tiny plane, like a two-seater plane. He would come over literally just for a few hours, and then go back.
Holy carbon emissions, Batman! Surely his effect on the environment was the last thing on his mind, as David Beckham likely shelled out thousands of dollars each time he wanted to fly to Victoria’s side to spend just a few hours with her.
The retired footballer didn’t dispute the claims, either, admitting that travel time was not an issue, and if making the four-hour drive from Manchester to London was what it took, that’s what he’d do. In his words:
I didn’t care when I saw her, how much I saw her. If it was me driving down to London to see her for seven minutes, I did it.
While not as expensive as chartering a plane — no matter how small said plane was — driving eight hours round-trip takes a lot of gas, and that’s not to mention the time sacrifice. Young love is a powerful thing, no doubt about it, but this seems so extreme to me.
The Beckham series also delved into the consequences of David getting distracted during that time of his life — was he getting any sleep at all?! — and his former teammate Gary Neville even spoke about Beckham’s need to be with Victoria, saying:
I knew the lengths he was going to to see Victoria and it was a lot. He was like an addict. He would drive four hours to spend 20 minutes with her. He couldn’t kid us. I’d say, ‘Where were you last night, mate?’ ‘Oh I just went for a drive.’ What do you mean, ‘Went for a drive’?
You know, just a jaunt down to London, nbd. When David Beckham wasn’t traveling to physically be with Posh Spice, apparently he was on the phone with her, as Neville continued:
The truth is, he was on the phone to Victoria every second, and he would stay on the phone until 1 o’clock in the morning. He was in the bathroom with the light on all night, speaking to her. I’m like, ‘What the fuck are you speaking to her about?’
It is sweet to hear that David and Victoria Beckham had those hours-long phone conversations getting to know each other in the beginning of their relationship, and while the calls were likely no comparison to seeing each other in person, at least nobody was shelling out their hard-earned money for quick visits. It’s fun to hear the early stories of Posh and Becks, before the couple faced bigger obstacles than distance.
The four-episode series Beckham is available to stream on Netflix now, and be sure to check out what else is new and coming soon to Netflix.