David Beckham says Victoria does not want their daughter Harper to play football

Speaking to a group of journalists including RadioTimes.com ahead of the broadcast of a new BBC1 documentary, the former England captain revealed that his former Spice Girl wife has finally put her foot down after their three sons – Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz – have all followed their Dad’s interest in the sport.

“After having three boys that obviously do want to play football she wants to be able to have one of our children that wants to go and do stuff with her, like ballet or tap [dance]. At the moment Harper plays tennis," he said.

“I think Victoria’s had 16 years of sitting on cold Sunday mornings on the sidelines, watching the boys. She’d like to sit indoors and watch Harper either play tennis or ballet or tap. But if ever Harper does want to go and play football, Victoria will support her.”

Beckham was speaking to promote David Beckham: For the Love of the Game, his new BBC1 film in which he travels across the world playing football and raising awareness of his charity work.

The 90-minute film follows the former footballer on a journey to the villages of Papua New Guinea, the foothills of Nepal, the streets of Buenos Aires, the desert plains of Djibouti, the elevated pitches of Miami and the frozen wastelands of Antarctica. It will air on December 29.

Beckham also called on the world to get behind Russia’s hosting of the football World Cup despite the country’s poor record on gay rights.

He said: “My support is not for individual countries, my support is for the game. The World Cup has always been about changing communities. I don’t get involved in the politics side of whether they believe in certain things that we don’t.

“I’m not agreeing with anything that they believe in but these countries are going to be hosting the World Cup so everyone now needs to get behind the sport and support the fact that it will change these countries. The power of the game is so huge it could change people’s perceptions on certain things.”

Asked whether he hoped that hosting the World Cup would change the nations’ views on gay rights, he replied: “Without a doubt.”