Ricky Tomlinson to film sequel to Mike Bassett: England Manager

Ricky Tomlinson is to reprise his role in a sequel to Mike Bassett: England Manager.

The Royle Family actor will play the fictional football coach again in comedy Mike Bassett: Interim Manager.

The follow-up to the 2001 film will see Bassett brought in to the England camp as number two to gifted German coach Jorgen Mannstein.

Footballer and actor Andy Ansah, who appeared in the first film as well as acting as the footie consultant, will also be back.

Steve Barron directed the cult comedy and is returning to take the reins on the follow-up.

"Bassett was the last England manager to take the national team to Brazil. We reached the semis then, who knows what we could achieve this time?" he said.

"I'm very excited to be back with the team including football legend Andy Ansah who cut his teeth on the first film.

"As the years have gone by Bassett seems to have dug deeper into football folklore. There is hardly a manager in the game that hasn't been compared to him. Usually at a low point. Sometimes a very low point."

Mike Bassett: Interim Manager is due to start shooting later this year.

- Press Association

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.