Sir David Beckham has spoken candidly about fatherhood, reflecting on the values he’s tried to instil in his children amid reports of tension with his eldest son, Brooklyn.
In a new appearance on James Corden’s This Life of Mine podcast, the former England captain said he is proud that his four children; Brooklyn, 26, Romeo, 23, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 14, have remained “humble” and “well-mannered” despite growing up in the public eye.
“I would like to say that I brought my children up with the same values as what my dad and mum taught me and my sisters,” he said.
“My kids are very polite. My kids are very well-mannered. My kids are humble and they all have the same values as what I have and my wife has.
“That’s the proudest thing that we have as parents, in all honesty.”
Sir David added that he parents differently from his own father, admitting he is “a lot softer than my dad was”.
“But there’s certain traits that I do have the same as my dad”, he explained.
The Beckhams have long presented a united, hands-on family life, with their children often joining them at public events — from football matches to royal engagements — and marking birthdays and milestones with affectionate social-media tributes.
In earlier interviews, Sir David admitted he once worried about raising children who might be “spoilt”.
Not long after Harper’s birth, he told the Times: “The way my dad brought me up, he was strict. I’m exactly the same with my boys.
“They have their feet on the ground. We make sure that the most important thing to us is our family and we’re all grounded.”
His comments come after months of speculation over a rift with son Brooklyn and daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz.
The couple are said to have clashed with the family earlier this year, although the couple are now reportedly “open to hearing Brooklyn’s side of things” following a call for an apology.
Metro reported earlier this month that they will “settle for nothing less than a substantive and public apology from his parents”.
A source told the outlet: “David and Victoria have always wanted the feud with Brooklyn to be resolved. They’d love to have him back in the picture but feel as if there are things to hash out in their relationship.
“They want to move forward as a family and could be open to hearing Brooklyn’s side of things.”
