"Becoming a dad at such a young age, it's such a difficult thing. And I think I built fatherhood up so much in my head that it kind of messed me up to start with. I started in a bad place with it," he told Ant.
"I think it spooked me out early on, and I was just worried I would not be enough to look after the both of them. They're so important to me — Cheryl as well."
Despite the fact that Liam and Cheryl announced their split last year after two and a half years of dating, Liam admitted that his ex-partner is still a huge part of his life.
"She's one of the most, if not the most, important people in my life",' he added.
"I'm lucky I have someone who understands what I'm going through."
He continued: "The one thing I was missing as a man in the relationship I had, was a level understanding about what she was feeling about stuff.
"I think I learnt through being away that, while I want to protect her, there's a big part of her that wants to protect me."
Liam and Cheryl first met when he was 14 and she was 24 following his audition for X Factor UK.
The couple made their relationship public in May 2016 and welcomed their son, Bear in March 2017.
Liam is now dating Texan model Maya Henry, 19.