David Beckham has confirmed he’ll star in a Disney+ series which will see him mentor a team of young footballers.
The former England star, 45, will take centre stage in the show which focuses on a group of inner-city youngsters from an east London team striving for sporting success.
It comes after it was reported that David had signed a seven-figure deal with the streaming service to star in the TV series, which will be filmed just two miles from Leytonstone where the former Manchester United star grew up.
Coming soon! David Beckham, 45, has confirmed he’ll star in a Disney+ series which will see him mentor a team of young footballers on their journey to sporting success
Speaking about the show David said: ‘It is fantastic to be making Save Our Squad with Twenty Twenty and to shine a light on the kind of grassroots football that I experienced growing up and which gave me so much at the start of my life in the game.
‘I was so fortunate to have a long and successful playing career and now to have the opportunity to give back to these communities as a mentor is incredible.
‘Developing and nurturing young talent is so important in the game and it is great to be working with Disney Plus on this project.’
New show: The former England star will take centre stage in the show which focuses on a group of inner-city youngsters close to where he grew up
Offering his expertise: It comes after it was reported that David had signed a seven-figure deal with the streaming service to star in the TV series
Last month it had been reported that David was set to star in the Disney+ series, and casting had already begun in Hackney Marshes earlier this week, just two miles from Leytonstone where the sportsman grew up.
A source told The Sun: ‘David was approached by Disney+ about making the show and he was very taken with the idea because it really reflects his own experiences growing up. Plus he’s still so committed to young talent in the game.
‘Disney thought David was an ideal mentor for the group. He came from nothing to become one of the best footballers and most famous people in the world.
‘It was a huge coup for Disney to get David on board. For him it’s about sharing his passion for the game and helping these youngsters out as much as he can.’
Icon: The former England star will mentor a group of inner-city young footballers who grew up in similar circumstances to him (David is pictured aged 10)
It’s thought that filming for the series was delayed by the Covid pandemic, but production is expected to resume this summer.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for David Beckham and Disney+ for comment.
David was famously scouted by Manchester United when he was just seven years old and signed to the club’s youth team before making his professional debut at the age of 17.
He went onto become one of the club’s all-time top goalscorers, and was also a star player for England across three World Cups and two European Championships.
Coming soon: It’s thought that casting for the series begun in Hackney Marshes earlier this week, just two miles from Leytonstone where David grew up (pictured in 1993)
David went onto play for Real Madrid from 2003 to 2007, before relocating to the US to play for LA Galaxy, and retired in 2013 after a brief spell at Paris Saint-Germain
In 2018 David also launched his own professional club, Inter Miami CF, which begun playing in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2020.
It comes following reports in October that David and his wife Victoria have signed a £16 million deal with Netflix to star in a fly-on-the-wall series about their lives.
A source told The Sun: ‘This is a real coup for Netflix and will show a completely different side to David, one the public very rarely get to see.
‘David’s family are all massive archivers; they’ve been proudly documenting his career since he was a boy and have kept all the old local newspaper cuttings, school records and team photos throughout the years.’
Anticipated: It comes following reports in October that David and his wife Victoria have signed a £16 million deal with Netflix to star in a fly-on-the-wall series about their lives
They added: ‘Some old footage from special occasions will be shown and a crew will document David’s life now, following him around the globe as he fulfils various business ventures.’
His ex England, Manchester United and Real Madrid teammates, including the likes of Ronaldo, Gary Neville, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs will feature.
And The Sun also reports that the likes of James Corden and David’s best friend, Dave Gardner will appear.
The series is thought to be airing in early 2022 and comes after David set up his Studio 99 media and production company – they are producing the project
The ’99’ refers to the year (1999) that David and Victoria married one another and the company was set up in 2019.
The Beckhams’ representative declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.
David and Victoria are parents to Brooklyn, 21, Romeo, 18, Cruz, 15 and Harper, nine, and their relationship, careers and lucrative commercial deals has earned them the alias Brand Beckham.
Brand Beckham: David and Victoria are parents to Brooklyn, 21, Romeo, 18, Cruz, 15 and Harper, nine, and their commercial success has earned them the alias Brand Beckham