OK! Reveals the One Thing David Beckham Will 'Never' Do in Tit for Tat War With Estranged Son Brooklyn

OK! can reveal David Beckham has made clear amid his bitter family feud, there is one line he will never cross – removing the tattoo he got for his eldest son, Brooklyn, even though his estranged boy appears to have erased his own body art tribute to his father.

Ex-footballer David, 50, recently shared a photograph on Instagram showing the word "Buster" inked on his neck – a nickname he has long used for Brooklyn, 26.

It came only days after images emerged of Brooklyn covering the word "Dad" on an anchor tattoo on his right arm while out in Los Angeles with his billionaire heiress wife, Nicola Peltz, 31.

One source told us: "Brooklyn has gone through laser sessions specifically to remove the lettering. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment cover-up – he was determined to erase the word entirely and made a conscious decision to have it taken off his body."

The insider added despite the harsh symbolism of Brooklyn's move, David's own tattoo tribute to his son is a "non-negotiable."

According to those close to the former England captain, the contrast between father and son has only hardened his resolve as the rift with Brooklyn, his mom Victoria, 51, and the couple's other children Romeo, 23, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 14, drags on across continents.

A separate source said: "David will never get his tattoo tribute to Brooklyn removed. Whatever happens, that ink stays. He sees it as a permanent expression of love, not a bargaining chip in a family dispute."

Brooklyn has said he has no wish to reconcile with his family.

In a statement issued last month, he raged on Instagram: "For my entire life, my parents have controlled narratives in the press about our family. The performative social media posts, family events and inauthentic relationships have been a fixture of the life I was born into."

He added: "My parents have been trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn't stopped. Recently, I have seen with my own eyes the lengths that they'll go through to place countless lies in the media, mostly at the expense of innocent people, to preserve their own façade."

Photographs taken in California show the "Dad" lettering on Brooklyn's replaced by three nondescript shapes, while Brooklyn has also covered a chest tattoo dedicated to Victoria.

The words "Love you Bust" on his arm remain faintly visible.

David, whose career began at Manchester United in 1992 before spells at Real Madrid and L.A. Galaxy, shared the tattoo image as he cataloged his football boots, many embroidered with his children's names – including Brooklyn's – alongside those of Romeo, Cruz and Harper.

Another source said the decision would sting. They added: "Watching Brooklyn erase the tattoo for his mother and then take steps to remove the one dedicated to his father is deeply painful."

"It's bound to hurt badly and only intensifies the emotional damage at a time when feelings are already raw," they added.

Amid the growing Beckham family dispute, reports have suggested Brooklyn and Nicola are planning to adopt their first child. A source close to the couple said: "They both see children in their future in a big way, and adoption is something they feel strongly about – they want to build a large family and are committed to welcoming at least one child through adoption."

Sources insist David remains focused on his younger children and his work, but his "Buster" tattoo, first done in 2015, remains visible – a fixed symbol of a bond he believes endures regardless of the public fallout.

No comment has been made publicly by Victoria or Brooklyn beyond his January statement.