David Beckham has hit back at an article criticising the former England football captain for allowing his four-year-old daughter Harper to use a dummy.

The Daily Mail published a piece on Monday claiming that Harper is "well beyond the age" of using a pacifier, and added that the youngster could be at risk of developing dental and speech problems.

Beckham posted a screenshot of the headline to Instagram and wrote: "Why do people feel they have the right to criticize a parent about their own children without having any facts??

"Everybody who has children knows that when they aren't feeling well or have a fever you do what comforts them best and most of the time it's a pacifier so those who criticize think twice about what you say about other people's children because actually you have no right to criticize me as a parent ..."

Beckham and wife Victoria are also parents to sons Brooklyn, 16, Romeo, 12, and 10-year-old Cruz.