‘David and Victoria Beckham showed me their true colours during glitzy house party’ | Football | Sport

Brooklyn Beckham’s dramatic rift with parents Victoria and David sent shockwaves through the sporting and celebrity sphere this week, with the eldest son publishing an extensive statement on his Instagram story explaining his decision to cut ties with them. He confirmed that reconciliation remains off the table, leaving the family deeply divided.

Whilst he would certainly have wished to avoid such circumstances, father David was no stranger to controversy throughout his football and celebrity career. Although Beckham faced negative scandals both on and off the pitch during his playing days, arguably his most uplifting and unforgettable moment was that legendary free-kick against Greece in 2001, which secured England’s passage to the following year’s World Cup.

Whilst the Beckham surname currently faces scrutiny, the early 2000s presented a stark difference – they represented the quintessential celebrity duo establishing a young family with baby Brooklyn frequently photographed alongside them at fixtures. One individual particularly familiar with the sparkle and spectacle of their stardom is former England international Danny Mills.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Mills discussed the free-kick moment and the subsequent World Cup celebration.

“I was in the squad – there were four or five of us watching that goal from the tunnel, it was an incredible moment,” he said. “Had that not gone in, I might not have played at a World Cup.”

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Regarding the celebrations, he revealed how the Beckham’s planned to host the squad at their house. But they showed their true colours with the incredible lengths they went to to host the bash.

Mills added: “I remember being invited to a World Cup party at his house – it was a little extravagant. The invitations came around in early 2002 – white tie and diamonds was the dress code!

“I didn’t even own a black tie, let alone a white one, and I certainly didn’t have any diamonds! That was an eye-opener, the world of the famous, I guess.

“But I did go along. We had a table at the back of the room for the players – the celebrities that were there from all different walks of life were way more forward than us.

“Allegedly the party was for the players, but I’m not sure it was… I spent most of the time with my lad in the kids’ play tent!”

England faced heartbreak at the World Cup, however, crashing out at the quarter-final stage in Japan and South Korea. Mills himself earned five of his 19 England caps in the Far East.

Born in March 1999, son Brooklyn would have been merely three years old when the World Cup occurred. Now 26, he chose not to pursue his father’s path, abandoning football in 2015 following his Arsenal release.

Stepping away from sport, Brooklyn discovered his love for photography before exploring culinary pursuits. Unsurprisingly, as a Beckham, he commands social media attention with nearly 17 million Instagram followers.

He has endured much of his existence surrounded by the ‘white ties and diamonds’ of his parents’ lifestyle but has apparently reached breaking point. Earlier this week, he shared his explosive declaration with these 17 million followers.

“I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private,” he said.

“Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed.

“I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.”