Brooklyn Peltz Beckham's childhood, upbringing and marriage have come under the public's magnifying glass since his bombshell statement earlier this month, when he criticised his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, for being "controlling", "performative" and "inauthentic".
Since he spoke out, many people have weighed in on the family's dynamic and conflict, including the Beckham family's close friend DJ Fat Tony, and some of Brooklyn's ex-girlfriends. Now, his former football coach has commented on his perspective of the 26-year-old's childhood.
© Getty ImagesAnthony McCool, who coached Brooklyn while he was a youth player at Queen's Park Rangers, aged 14, revealed what the older brother of Romeo, Cruz and Harper Beckham was like as a teenager, during an interview conducted for ITV's new Beckham v Beckham: The Price of Fame documentary.
He explained that Brooklyn was incredibly shy, and struggled to fit in at first, saying: "Brooklyn was just very quiet, didn't really look you in the eye at first. That took quite some time, but very polite."
Anthony shared a 'sad' anecdote about Brooklyn
The football coach also shared an anecdote in which Brooklyn's security guard stepped into a situation that quickly escalated: "He turned up without a drink. They're supposed to bring their own drink. And I asked him where his drink was and he said, 'I don't know, they didn't give me one.' This was then leapt on by this guy (security) near us: 'Was there a problem?'
"And this guy had someone shoot off and before we know it, he's back and burst in the dressing room like Jason Bourne with an earpiece in, with a crate of Lucozade…and said, 'You said that Brooklyn needed a drink,' and everyone laughed."
© Getty ImagesHe cited this as an example of why he felt that Brooklyn's life was rather "sad", continuing: " I caught Brooklyn and looked at him and thought, 'Wow, this life is crackers, he probably thought everyone was laughing at him, and that's what made me quite sad."
Anthony said that the child "would worry" him, because there was no "massively high emotion or massively low," explaining that "he was in this daze, and I think he was embarrassed at times," especially as Brooklyn was under a lot of pressure to follow in his father's footsteps.
At the same time, he also believed that Brooklyn's parents were in a difficult position, explaining: "There's nothing anyone could have done, and I think maybe his parents were trying to do the right thing, perhaps by stepping back a little bit to try and give him the space."
Brooklyn is trying to handle fame on his own terms
Now, Brooklyn is committing to his own food-related ventures, launching a new partnership with Le Bilboquet Market in Palm Beach, Florida for his Cloud23 hot sauces. He exclusively told HELLO!: "I am excited to kick up the world famous Bilboquet Cajun chicken with my Sweet Jalapeno hot sauce."
An inside source commented further on his collaborations with the culinary director of Le Bilboquet Market, Chef François Payard, explaining: "Chef François Payard is a legend, and arguably one of the most versatile and lauded chefs working today. From his James Beard award, to all the Michelin restaurants he worked at and all the restaurants that bore his name around the globe. So yes, this is a big deal in the food world. And Chef François only collaborates with the best of the best."
