David Beckham has revealed he was left 'heartbroken' after his eldest son, Brooklyn, admitted he no longer wanted to pursue a career in football. The former England captain, who enjoyed an iconic career with Manchester United and Real Madrid, had hoped his children would follow in his footsteps.
In a 2015 interview with ABC News, Beckham recalled the moment Brooklyn, then a teenager, told him: 'I'm not sure I want to play football all the time.' The 26-year-old explained that the pressure of being David Beckham's son made him feel that if he wasn't as good as his father, 'it's not good enough.' Beckham said: 'It broke my heart a little bit.'
Tensions between father and son have resurfaced after Brooklyn publicly criticised his parents in an Instagram post last week. He accused Sir David and Victoria Beckham of 'controlling' behaviour and attempting to 'ruin' his marriage to Nicola Peltz Beckham. The post also alleged that Victoria 'hijacked' his first dance at his wedding and pulled out of designing Nicola's gown at the last minute.
David Beckham broke his silence on the matter during an appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box, acknowledging that children 'make mistakes' and should be allowed to learn from them. He said: 'You sometimes have to let them make those mistakes as well.'
