David Beckham reveals he didn't watch Manchester United for THREE YEARS after he left the club

David Beckham has opened up on his heartbreak that followed him out of the door at Manchester United after he left the club for Real Madrid 20 years ago.

The global football icon has carved out a career that places him amongst the sporting and celebrity elite, but behind the riches and luxurious lifestyle, there is regret.

Beckham - born in London - was adopted by Manchester when he moved to the northern industrial city from Tottenham's youth programme in 1991 and became part of the club's fabled Class of 92'.

At Old Trafford he had found his football forever home - or so he thought - nurtured by the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Eric Harrison as he starred alongside Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes amongst others. But things eventually soured and a high-profile departure later followed.

United struggled to keep up as Beckham's global stock soared and Manchester wasn't big enough for the personalities of both Ferguson and Golden Balls and a famous dressing room boot kick was the final impasse.

Speaking at St Johns Wood United Synagogue in north London via the Athletic, Beckham emotionally revealed his love for United and explained how he couldn't watch his boyhood club in the following years.

'I always felt I would start my career at Manchester United and end my career at Manchester United,' he said.

'I had no intention of leaving at any point and I didn't want to play for any other club.'

'For the next three years [after leaving], I couldn't even watch United on television.

'Being at United, and supporting them, for as long as I had, it was obviously upsetting.'

United pushed on in Beckham's absence as the England star became Real Madrid's new £24.5m Galactico with Ferguson overseeing a period of huge success as the Red Devils won several more English top-flight title and a second Champions League in 2008.

Meanwhile, the winger became a LaLiga and Spanish Cup champion at Madrid before eventually pursuing moves to LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

He continued to star for England as the nation's captain before hanging up his Three Lions jersey in 2009 after making 115 appearances .

Club retirement followed a decade after he left Old Trafford and Beckham's status has continued to grow and is now the owner of MLS side Inter Miami.

His relationship with Ferguson was salvaged years later as differences were put aside, but Beckham's United fairytale had been cut short and the player had to see out his career without ever again wearing the famous red number seven.