David Beckham delves back into the hateful treatment he received following his infamous 1998 red card 鈥� and its impact on him 鈥� in a new Netflix documentary series pegged to the 10th anniversary of his retirement.

鈥淭his whole process has been like an emotional rollercoaster,鈥� Beckham said of the in an exclusive video interview with The Associated Press. 鈥淚鈥檝e never talked about these certain moments in my career and in my life.鈥�

The intimate four-part series explores Beckham鈥檚 upbringing, his courtship with his wife and his triumphs on the field, but perhaps the most difficult part was revisiting his painful sending off during England鈥檚 World Cup match against Argentina.

鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 actually watched it and I hadn鈥檛 actually watched the interviews and what people said about me after,鈥� he said, adding that it left him 鈥渟hocked and emotional.鈥�

Beckham was red carded for deliberately kicking the back of Diego Simeone鈥檚 leg. He lashed out after the Argentina captain pushed him to the ground. England鈥檚 World Cup hopes were crushed, and Beckham instantly went from hero to villain.

鈥淏eckham鈥� includes footage of the hatred the soccer star received 鈥� condemnation in British tabloids and constant fan abuse, including one who hung his effigy from a noose outside a London pub.

鈥淚 knew it was bad at the time, but going over that whole that whole thing was quite a tough one,鈥� he told the AP.

The backlash continued throughout the next season.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 just stepping onto a football pitch, it was every time that I went out in my car and people stopped me and spat at my window and you know, all of those things, and then walking into a restaurant knowing that everybody in there hates you.鈥�

Best friend David Gardner recalls how Beckham even had to be accompanied by friends in the bathroom for his safety, yet never retaliated.

Despite the full support of Manchester United fans and club manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Beckham said there wasn鈥檛 the same knowledge or concern about mental health that exists now.

鈥淏ack then there wasn鈥檛 anyone turning round to me and saying, 鈥楢re you OK? Are you sure you鈥檙e OK? Let鈥檚 talk about it.鈥欌��

Even his own family struggled to understand. 鈥淭wenty five years ago, if I鈥檇 have turned around to my dad and said that I don鈥檛 feel great, he would have said, 鈥楤oy, just get on with it鈥�. So that鈥檚 how I grew up and that鈥檚 how I knew how to kind of handle a situation like that,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 became, I wouldn鈥檛 say a cold person, but I was able to block things out that were challenging and difficult for me at the time鈥� he added, saying it helped him grow as a player and as a person.

鈥淚鈥檓 not a person that sits and reflects on past achievements and things like that鈥� Beckham said, explaining that he learned from an early age that you can win a trophy and celebrate that evening, 鈥渂ut then the next day you鈥檙e on to the next season and you鈥檙e on to something else. 鈥�

The first episode, which debuts Oct. 4, explores young David鈥檚 upbringing in Chingford, Essex, and his relationship with his father.

鈥淗e was a very disciplined dad from a very early age. And when I didn鈥檛 play well, he told me and when I did play well, he kind of told me that I did play well, but not too much,鈥� Beckham said with a smile.

It had always been his father鈥檚 dream that his son play in the premiership for Manchester United and it soon became their shared dream, turned reality. After being spotted by a scout playing on London鈥檚 Hackney Marshes, Beckham moved to Manchester at 15. The tough love continued under Ferguson. Their partnership helped Beckham win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League.

鈥淲ithout a doubt, me getting out of London at that time and becoming a Manchester United player, in the north, surrounded by unbelievable people 鈥� that for me without doubt helped me have the success and have the career that I had had and have,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving the discipline of Sir Alex Ferguson possibly was one of the biggest reasons why I was able to succeed.鈥�

But the discipline didn鈥檛 rub off when it comes to his own four children Brooklyn, , Cruz and Harper Seven, who all appear in the documentary. Beckham admits his wife is 鈥減retty strict鈥� and he finds it hard to lay down the law.

鈥淚 always thought growing up, if I was to become a young dad, I would be like my dad. I would support my kids with going into football and be hard with them. But I was nowhere near like my dad was. I鈥檓 a bit of a softie.鈥�

Meeting Spice Girl Victoria Adams was a pivotal moment in Beckham鈥檚 life. She was already a global superstar as 鈥淧osh Spice鈥� and he was a rising talent with Manchester United.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 something that normally happens, you know, a footballer and a pop star coming together and the pressures of that but also her being on the world tour, me really wanting to see her. But obviously I couldn鈥檛 travel. So, we used to sneak around.鈥�

He said they managed to keep their relationship secret for the first few months and then 鈥渢he explosion happened.鈥�

Beckham鈥檚 teammate and close friend Gary Neville jokes on 鈥淏eckham鈥� about the pair鈥檚 long phone calls into the early hours before a game and says Beckham would drive for four hours just to spend 20 minutes with her.

Part three and four of the series were not available for review prior to Beckham鈥檚 interview, but those episodes explore his explosive fallout with Ferguson, his sale to Real Madrid and tabloid allegations of Beckham鈥檚 extra-marital affairs.

鈥淭here are pressures, but you work hard,鈥� Beckham said of his marriage. And despite press speculation, the couple recently celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary and remain a united force.

鈥淚 suppose that鈥檚 one of the reasons why we鈥檙e so, so strong as a couple, because, yes, we have amazing kids, we have amazing careers, but we 鈥� make time for each other as well.鈥�

Beckham鈥檚 career spread far beyond his success as a player to cultural icon and entrepreneur. He was a trailblazer for collaborations with brands like Adidas, Armani, Breitling and more. While players weren鈥檛 really doing similar deals at the time, he said it felt like a natural progression enabled by his success on the football pitch.

He knew early on that 鈥淏rand Beckham鈥� would broaden and lengthen his career if he could achieve a good balance.

鈥淚 always made sure that whatever I was doing off the field never affected what I was doing on the field because that was what I loved and what was important to me.鈥�

His business savvy culminated in , Inter Miami.

鈥淚 had the opportunity to play in different countries, move to America, obviously have my own franchise and my own team, become an owner,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o then once I finished playing, I knew that the moment I finished playing, I could then jump into the business. But, we were working on that a long time before that.鈥�

Looking back on his career鈥檚 highs and lows, it鈥檚 natural to wonder: Does Beckham have regrets?

鈥淒o I wish things hadn鈥檛 happened? Absolutely. Do I wish 鈥�98 hadn鈥檛 happened? Absolutely.鈥�

But he said he realized it all happened for a reason.

鈥淚t made me stronger as a person, as a player, as a human being, and as a father, as a husband,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd if that hadn鈥檛 have happened, I maybe I wouldn鈥檛 have had the career that I had.鈥�