He defended himself from fierce criticism for kissing his young daughter on the lips.

And David Beckham, 42, defiantly shared an affectionate SnapChat picture as he enjoyed a picnic with five-year-old Harper in a park on Wednesday afternoon.

The retired footballer couldn't take his eyes off the little girl as he gazed adoringly on her in the leafy setting.

Scroll down for video

Defiance: David Beckham, 42, shared a very affectionate picture with Harper, five, in the park after courting attention for kissing his youngest daughter

David looked every inch the doting dad when he protectively wrapped his arms around the youngster.

Taking centre stage in the photograph, little Harper sucked on her thumb as she slept soundly alongside hr famous father.

David captioned the shot 'picnic in the park' with a heart emoji when he shared the affectionate photograph with his legion of fans.

'I kiss all my kids on the lips': David has hit back at the criticism he received after posting a photo of himself kissing daughter on the lips to Instagram

Earlier this week, the former footballer defended his decision to kiss his youngest daughter after a photograph of them kissing caused a stir on Instagram.

He revealed both his wife Victoria, 43, and himself are 'always very affectionate' towards their brood of four.

The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and England midfielder hit back at his critics while taking part in a Facebook Live on his own official page during a trip to Bangkok.

David insisted he kisses all of his children on the lips - asides from his eldest son Brooklyn, who is now 18 years old.

David - who also shares sons Romeo, 14, and Cruz, 12, with former Spice Girl Victoria - was subject to criticism from his followers.

Having his say: The sports star addressed the scandal his photo had caused when taking part in a Facebook Live on his own official page during a trip to Bangkok

He was pictured kissing his little girl on the lips, as they cuddled up for a selfie during a family Safari trip they had taken in Tanzania.

While many had branded the picture 'beautiful' and a depiction of the 'close bond' he has with Harper, David was also hit with a barrage of negative comments as others claimed the post had been 'disgusting'.

Baffled by the strong reaction it received, David addressed his photo with Harper and said: 'I kiss all my kids on the lips.'

'Brooklyn maybe not. Brooklyn is 18, so he might find that a little strange, but I'm very affectionate with the kids.'

Hitting back: David revealed he no longer kisses Brooklyn on the lips, as the 18-year-old may find it 'strange', but he insisted he is 'always very affectionate' towards his children

'It's how I was brought up - and Victoria - and it's how we are with our children.'

The former England captain continued: 'We want to show our kids love and we protect them, look after them and support them.'

Gushing about his role as a father, David added: 'Having children is the most special thing in the world.'

Like David, Victoria had too shared a photo of herself kissing Harper while the duo were taking a dip in the pool together during a holiday taken last year.

Her photo had sparked a wide debate, as again, the fashion designer's social media followers had struggled to agree on the nature of the post.

'We want to show our kids love': He also spoke out in defence of Victoria's shot of herself and Harper that had sparked a wide debate on social media last year

She had been celebrating her mini-me's fifth birthday and wrote alongside her picture of the pair: 'We all love you so much, kisses from mummy.'

Her fans struggled to see eye-to-eye on the snap, with some labelling it 'strange', 'pervy' and 'old-fashioned'.

One user commented: 'It is strange to kiss your parents on the lips, we need to stop saying to other people it isn't.'

Another added: 'Ew sorry I’m old fashioned it looks like they making out.'

Many more, however, had jumped to Victoria's defence and insisted they 'felt sorry' for the star, due to the negative comments she had received.

Harsh: Like David, Victoria found herself inundated with criticism over the snap, with some branding it 'strange' and 'old-fashioned'

They penned: 'People reading into this are simply sick themselves. There is absolutely nothing sexual about this.

'This is a perfectly normal moment for any parent and child. The things people have been saying are rude and how can they have the audacity to say it.

'It must be horrible to see the world through some people’s eyes. I’m pleased I see this for what it is. A gorgeous pic of the love between mother and daughter.

'Beautiful photo, what is the world coming to when you cant even kiss your own child on the lips! I always kiss my boys on the lips.'

David's response to the criticism the duo have received comes after Victoria was seen praising her husband on his parenting skills for Father's Day.

Family love: David's response to the criticism the duo have received comes after Victoria was seen praising her husband on his parenting skills for Father's Day for being the 'best daddy'

She shared a snap of David with their four children and had told the sports star: 'The best daddy in the world!!! We all love u so, so much.'

David had been well and truly treated by his kids for Father's Day last month - having enjoyed a Stone Roses gig with his Cruz on Saturday night, before receiving an adorable handmade card from Harper.

Sharing an insight into her relationship with David, Victoria insisted the couple have 'a lot of fun together'.

Joking about being pictured looking downcast, she said in an interview with Vogue Netherlands: 'If I really was as miserable as I look in some of those paparazzi pictures, my children wouldn't be as happy as they are.

'And I certainly wouldn't be married anymore!'