Former England captain David Beckham at an event to launch a wildlife conservation campaign at Google’s headquarters in London earlier this month. Photo: Andrew Winning/Reuters

David Beckham is trying not to miss his glory days of playing for the England team and now enjoys just being a soccer fan.

“The thing I miss most is playing for England,” Beckham told Reuters beforethe premiere of a Showtime documentary, David Beckham into the Unknown, that follows the footballer on a journey of self-discovery in the Brazilian rainforest.

“Playing for England, representing England, for me was obviously my dream,” he said.

Retiring from professional football in 2013 after 22 years on the field, the 39-year-old British celebrity athlete decided to travel with three friends on motor-cycles across Brazil, traversing the Amazon to meet an indigenous Brazilian tribe and mulling over his life post-retirement.

“I think people would expect that if I was making a document-ary, it would be solely about football,” he said.

“What we wanted to do was something different, and also introduce people to Brazil who didn’t know the parts of Brazil where we were going to, in the way that we did.”

Born and raised in East London, Beckham quickly became a star soccer player at Manchester United and on England’s national team, cementing a glittering career on the field with stints at Real Madrid and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Off the field, he and his singer-turned-fashion designer wife Victoria have become one of the world’s most recognisable celebrity couples, building a franchise with advertising deals and endorsements.

In the documentary produced by CBS Corp.’s Showtime, the footballer muses on his retirement as he travells from Manaus to the Brazilian rainforest, camping out in hammocks and sleeping in shanty farm houses.

“Out of my comfort zone would be not showering for six or seven days,” he said with a laugh.

Throughout the 90-minute film, Beckham often contemplates his celebrity status, wondering if he will be recognised in remote areas they are travelling through.

“I bought it up so much because it hardly ever happened, and I think that’s what surprised me about travelling to those places,” he said.

“I didn’t think that I would be known once we got deep into the Amazon, and obviously I was right because I wasn’t and that was refreshing.”

I didn’t think that I would be known once we got deep into the Amazon and obviously I was right because I wasn’t and that was refreshing

Family crops up regularly throughout the trip for Beckham, who has been married for 15 years and is a father to four young children. In the film, he reflects on the ‘selfish’ choices he made during his career that took him away from his family, such as playing on loan for AC Milan while he was with LA Galaxy, and whether he might come out of retirement.

“Any athlete that has ... played the game at the highest level for so many years, once you stop, there’s always going to be a few moments where you feel you can come back,” he said.

But the footballer said he is happy to be on the sidelines now, with most of his efforts currently going into establishing a soccer club in Miami and being a father.