David Beckham Talks About His Marriage to Victoria Beckham: 'It's Always Hard Work'

David Beckham is getting candid about his marriage to Victoria Beckham.

The soccer star told Lisa Wilkinson on Australia’s The Sunday Project that the marriage takes “hard work.” The two celebrated their 19th anniversary this summer after tying the knot at a sprawling castle in Ireland on July 4, 1999.

“To have been married for the amount of time that we have, it’s always hard work,” David, 43, said in a preview posted by the Mirror. “It becomes a little bit more complicated.”

David also mentioned the couple’s children: daughter Harper Seven, 7, and sons Cruz David, 13, Romeo James, 16, and Brooklyn Joseph, 19.

“Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference, and I’ve noticed that with my children,” he said. Reflecting on media attention, he added, “The thing we have to do is protect our children.”

Victoria, 44, recently told British Vogue that she ignores rumors about their marriage.

“People have been making things up about our relationship for 20 years, so David and I are pretty used to ignoring the nonsense and just carrying on as normal,” she said. “But these things have a wider effect on the people around us, and that’s unfair.”

“We both realize that we are stronger together than we are as individuals,” Victoria noted. “Would either of us be in the position that we are in now had we not met and been together all those years ago? It’s all about the family unit. We are much stronger the six of us, than we would be if we were individuals. We respect that family bond and that is key.”

In September, a source told PEOPLE, “They have a real marriage, and if they have problems, they manage them like any other couple.”