David Beckham On Social Media: 'You Have To Control What Your Children Do'

He must have his hands full with his four kids...

Beckham family
Beckham family

He must have his hands full with his four kids...

His son Brooklyn already has Twitter and Instagram fans in the millions - but footballer and heartthrob David Beckham says that he's super-protective over what his kids do on social media.

Talking to The Telegraph, David said that 'you have to control what your children do to a certain extent', especially when it comes to using social media.

'I’m constantly on at my son who is 16,' David said - as if we wouldn't know who Brooklyn is. 'He doesn’t post anything [on Instagram] without showing us [first]. He talks to us about everything, so we are very lucky.'

But while David revealed that Romeo has a private social media account, he says in general the younger boys are not allowed on social media. Maybe he doesn't want them catching up with his impressive 14 million Instagram followers?

In the revealing interview, David also spoke about how he inherited his work ethic from his family, saying: 'I remember being 13 and seeing my mum looking after three kids and then still working until 11pm cutting hair. My dad used to go out at 6am and come back at night covered in oil stains from working in the kitchens. They instilled that hard work ethic into me, and I want to do the same for my children. I could just sit back and watch telly, but I don’t want to do that. I still work hard at whatever I do, whether it’s taking the rubbish out.'

And indeed, he does actually take the rubbish out, believe it or not. He clarified: 'Of course I take the rubbish out! I work hard at taking the rubbish out and I am very good at taking the rubbish out.'

Talking about whether his kids will grow up to be footballers themselves, David said his kids 'don’t think about their dad being England captain or playing for United or Real Madrid.'

'They just like playing football,' he said. 'If they don’t want to play, I’m not going to get upset about it. As long as they’ve got an ambition, as long as they’re passionate about something, that’s all I want for them.'

And even after all these years of fame and fortune, David still has his feet on the ground. 'I always say, you know, I didn’t play football to be famous,' he said. 'I didn’t play football to earn money. I played football because I was passionate about it and it was a hobby for me. I had a 22-year hobby and that is how I have always looked at it. I’ve been very fortunate to have done what I have done and travelled where I’ve travelled, and to have what I have. But it’s not why I did it.'

With son Brooklyn already having nearly 5 million Instagram followers, let's see how long David can keep the reins on...

The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.