London - He is a doting family man who adores his four children and is not shy about showing it on social media.
But David Beckham’s latest photo with his daughter Harper showing him kissing the seven-year-old on the lips has led to an online debate.
The football legend, 43, posted the image from a trip to the ice rink at the Natural History Museum with the caption: "Christmas is coming. Let’s go skate."
Although many of his Instagram followers said the picture was "adorable", some suggested it was "inappropriate".
Psychotherapist Noel McDermott said: "We give fathers a lot of stick for being emotionally unavailable to kids. This kiss on the lips was clearly affectionate. Kissing children is a great thing."
Last year, Beckham had to defend a similar photo of himself kissing Harper on the lips, insisting he was just as affectionate with his sons Brooklyn, now 19, Romeo, 16, and Cruz, 13.
"I kiss all my kids on the lips," he said in a Facebook Live interview. "Brooklyn, maybe not. Brooklyn’s 18, he might find that a little bit strange. But I’m very affectionate."
He added his wife Victoria, 44, was the same. The fashion designer has also posted pictures of herself kissing their daughter on the lips.
Beckham said: "It’s how I was brought up, and Victoria, and it’s how we are with our children.
"We want to show our kids love and we protect them, look after them and support them and we’re very affectionate with them."