David Beckham has been groomed for stardom since the age of 11 by top coaches and marketed by the industry's toughest professionals but the world's most famous footballer puts his fame and fortune down to two people.
"One of them is standing over there, which is my mum and the other one is at home, which is my dad," the 28-year-old said at the launch of his autobiography, "David Beckham: My Side" in Madrid on Friday.
"The most difficult chapter to write was probably my mum and dad's divorce," he said. "I have had a lot things happen to me in my career and life but I think that was the only part that I had no control of and I didn't know what to do."
The England captain, who moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in July, said the book was his opportunity to present his own version of certain events, such as the controversial sending-off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup that made him, at least temporarily, a national hate figure.
Beckham quickly regained his status as the country's best loved footballer, captaining England to last year's World Cup quarter-finals in South Korea and Japan.
Beckham's move to nine-times European champions Real Madrid for 35 million euros ($39.19 million) has only fanned the flames of media interest in a cultural icon, who has two children with his popstar wife Victoria Adams, the former Spice Girl.
"I am actually being scrutinised anyway, so this is my chance to put my point across," he said.
Publisher Harper Collins is launching the book, which was ghost written by sports journalist Tom Watt, in 50 countries with an initial run of over one million copies. It is due to hit the shelves in the United States on September 25.
A frequently red-faced Beckham appeared bemused by the media frenzy accompanying his lifestyle.
"It is hard to understand the interest that my life creates but I would never complain about it," he said. "It is very flattering that people are so interested in me and in my life.
"It is from my heart, the book, and everything in the book is true," said the midfielder, who played down media reports of a spat with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.
Asked if he had a favourite book, Beckham replied: "Yeah, this one."
Pressed on his second favourite literary work, the footballer replied to cheers from journalists: "My wife's one."