David admits marriage is tough and says he's not with Victoria because of the Beckham brand

David Beckham has achieved great success both on and off the football field. And, as with all successful men, the former England and Manchester United star has not been spared the hate.

The 41-year-old appeared on the special 75th anniversary edition of the Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs and said that he and his wife Victoria, 42, have been accused of staying together just to keep the Beckham brand intact.

"Do we stay together because it is a brand? Of course not. We stay together because we love each other and because we have four amazing children," David said.

David admitted that he has made "mistakes" in his marriage. The couple have been married for 19 years and have four children together – Brooklyn Beckham, 17, Harper Seven Beckham, 5, Romeo James Beckham, 14, and Cruz Beckham, 11.

"We are a strong family unit. We have got strong parents too and they taught us the right values. Of course you make mistakes and we all know that marriage is difficult at times. It is about working through it. We have come up against tough times. But we know each other better than anyone else knows us. And we talk," the former football great added.

He also revealed that he used to meet Victoria in the car park of a Harvester pub when they started dating as the singer's manager, Simon Fuller, wanted their relationship to be kept under wraps.

"I had this amazing bright blue BMW but I was still living in ­lodgings," David said. "We used to kiss, of course, and just spend time together."