Football icon David Beckham has faced many setbacks on the pitch, but none compared to the ‘heartbreaking’ revelation from his daughter Harper
David Beckham was left “heartbroken” by daughter Harper(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Dads across the world can take comfort in knowing that even David Beckham manages to embarrass his kids now and then. The former England and Manchester United star may be one of the most recognisable faces in the world, but even ‘Golden Balls’ has his awkward dad moments.
Beckham’s “heartbreaking” wake-up call came during a school run, when his daughter Harper asked to be dropped off a little further from the gates – a subtle hint that her famous dad might not be quite as cool as he thought.
Victoria Beckham shared the story during a 2022 appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast. David has often teased his wife about being dropped off at school by her father Tony in a Rolls Royce, and during the interview Victoria harked back to those times.
“We had the Rolls Royce, but because he was an electrical wholesaler he also had a van,” she said. “Me and my sister used to say like ‘please drop us [off] in the van.’
“I think more kids at school were being dropped off in a van and so when we were in the Rolls, we’d be like ‘oh please drop us down the road.’ Nowadays, I’d be like literally pull up right to the front gate. And I’d be proud to get out of that Rolls.”
Harper was embarrassed to have her dad drop her off at school(Image: Instagram)
Harper, who was 11 at the time, had her own moment of growing up which mirrored her mum’s earlier experience. The incident clearly struck a wit Beckham as he struggled to accept that his little girl was no longer so little, the Mirror reports.
“David was having this conversation the other day when he was dropping off Harper,” Victoria continued. “She was like, ‘Daddy can you drop me a little bit away from the school?’
She went on to say David was “heartbroken” before stating: “She’s our youngest daughter, and he was like, ‘Oh really, this is happening.’ And then he was like, ‘If it’s uncool that David Beckham’s your dad…’ I mean let’s be honest, what hope do most of the other kids have?”
Beckham has said he “has no power” over daughter Harper, whom he dotes on(Image: Instagram/David Beckham)
Dads everywhere can take comfort in knowing that even David Beckham isn’t immune to being sidelined. The former Real Madrid and LA Galaxy midfielder may have dominated on the pitch, but fatherhood, it seems, can be far tougher than any manager he’s ever faced.
Still, if anyone can get away with giving dad the cold shoulder, it’s Harper. While David and Victoria’s three older sons – Brooklyn, 26, Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 20 – have long grown up, it’s their 14-year-old daughter who remains the apple of David’s eye.
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“Having a daughter is a whole new thing: it changes you,” he once said of his experience being a girl-dad. “I have no power with that little girl, no power whatsoever.
“I love all my children, of course, equally. But I am definitely stricter with the boys than I am with Harper. I can’t say no to her. I think I only said no to her once; her bottom lip started shivering and I was like: ‘Never again.’
“She’s amazing. She’s a princess with Victoria – obviously she’s a big mummy’s girl – but she’s also a big daddy’s girl, which I love. I think she’s the best.”