David Beckham is reportedly "nervous" about the prospect of his daughter, Harper, dating as he's "naturally a protective dad", a source has claimed. The former Manchester United footballer, 49, has a "special bond" with his daughter, Harper Beckham . Harper, who celebrates her 13th birthday this month, reportedly turned dad David into a "softie".
However, in an interview shortly after her birth in 2011, David revealed just how protective he was, jokingly saying that all he needed now that his daughter had been born was a "shotgun". An insider close to the ex-footballer told Heat magazine: "David and Harper have such a special bond. He is naturally a protective dad, so obviously, he's nervous of anyone hurting his little girl.
"She's still so young, so a lot of this is hypothetical, and he knows any 'dating' will all be purely innocent - but he also knows it's going to get harder for him the older she gets." The oldest three children, Brooklyn, 25, Romeo, 21, and Cruz, 19, were allowed to date when they hit their teen years, but the notion of Harper following suit isn't necessarily sitting well with her dad, according to Heat. Harper was born when her parents were in different stages of their careers, and David, having retired from football , was around more, so he's reportedly feeling sentimental as she grows into a teenager.
A source told the magazine that Harper has "really started changing", and "in some ways", David "yearns" for the days when she was little. They said: "S.