All that newspaper used to mean to me were all those cuttings in the scrapbooks my grandad has kept meticulousely for so many years, and the papers that my dad buys every day, cutting out and filling articles written about David Beckham, the footballer. I have grown to realise in recent times, that the Press means an awful lot more than that. It is not always easy to put up with the other side of the operation.
There was nothing particularly romantic about our first meeting. Victoria came to watch me play for Manchester United at Old Trafford one afternoon and said she wanted to meet for a drink afterwards. We decided to travel down to London on the Sunday and from thenon, we've been inseparable. I couldn't believe that we'd passed each other before in the players' lounge at Chelsea. At first I didn't know she was in there, but when I found out that she was, I was too shy to approach her. I just waved at her, not exactly the most romantic gesture ever.
The announcement of our engagement wasn't something we had meticulously planned, it just happened because we felt the timing was right. We aren't getting married until 1999, so there is plenty to look forward to. Perhaps now that we have got the announcement over and done with, we can concentrate on our lives until the big day approaches.
Victoria has a lovely smile, and not a lot of people see it, because of the image she has to portray as Posh Spice. She's my best friend and that's one of the main reasons we get on so well together. We can talk to each other, we understand and appreciate the pressure we oth face.
Has it affected me as a player? Well, the remarks from supporters have become a little bit choice, and at times they've been totally over the top. The manager has told me to try to forget about them, to concentrate on my own game, but it's not always that easy.
It amazes me that people can come to Wembley and pay good money to watch an England team that's just qualified for the World Cup and spend all night chanting about Manchester United.
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