He’s one of the most beloved sportsmen to have ever graced the game, a player so profound and whose talents were so significant that all you need to do is mention the name ‘Becks’ or ‘Beckham’ to see eyes widen. Though Beckham has granted us all a number of memorable moments in sport, since retiring from the game he’s become something larger – a cultural icon of sorts, whose legacy extends beyond the sporting field.
Never one to sit idle, Beckham has been busy at work in recent years, with his more recent projects seeing him take on ambassador duties for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, while also filming for an upcoming Netflix documentary series about his “life and career.” Even so, he’s somehow found time to serve as a mentor to aspiring players, something audiences will get the chance to see in the upcoming documentary series, Save Our Squad.
In recent years, the sports documentary has become a highly-watchable genre. From Last Chance U to Cheer and Drive to Survive, these films have granted fans access to their favourite players and teams, learning more about the individuals away from their performance on the field or race track. Save Our Squad is set to offer a similar viewing experience. An official synopsis for the show reads: “Westward have not won a game all season, and the threat of being relegated looms large. David is going to have to draw on all of his years of experience in the game if he’s going to stand a chance of saving them from relegation.”
It adds: “From heroics to heartbreak, failure to redemption, the experience that Westward Boys, their coaches, and their families will go through over the course of the season, are ones they’ll never forget.”
Produced by Twenty Twenty in collaboration with Beckham’s own Studio 99, the series will see Beckham return to East London where he played as a child. There, he’ll serve as a mentor and coach to Westward Boys, which is a young grassroots side that’s struggling to survive in the league.
Speaking about his involvement in the project, Beckham 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.”
He added, “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+ on this project.”
As Sean Doyle, Disney+ director of unscripted content, expressed: “This is a fantastic opportunity to show the importance and impact of grassroots football in communities in the UK. The series will be exciting, dramatic, uplifting and full of heart and courage…everything David had in his own playing days.”
Save Our Squad is set to premiere on Disney+ on November 9.
