The cast has been announced for Dear England, a BBC1 drama that will follow the highs and lows of Gareth Southgate's time as coach of the Three Lions.
Based on the hit National Theatre play by James Graham (Sherwood, The Way, Quiz) the four-part drama will see Joseph Fiennes reprising his role as the England football manager.
Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) and Jason Watkins (The Crown) will join him in the cast, starring as Pippa Grange, the England men’s team psychologist and former FA chairman Greg Dyke respectively.
Director of BBC Drama Lindsay Salt also confirmed that Rupert Goold (Judy, King Charles III, The Hollow Crown), who directed Dear England on stage, will direct the TV series.
“Dear England was a back-of-the-net triumph on stage," she said in an official statement. "We could not be happier to work with James Graham, Joseph Fiennes, Rupert Goold and the team to give it the perfect home on the BBC. A story about the England team, football, national identity and so much more, this is hugely entertaining must-see television drama.”
Here's everything we know...
Dear England release date
The BBC has confirmed that filming is now underway in the South of England and the series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2026.
Dear England plot
The play upon which the four-part series is based is comprised of three acts. It roughly covers the England squad's participation in three tournaments, the 2018 World Cup in Russia (where they unexpectedly reached the semi-finals), Euro 2021 (where they lost the final on penalties to Italy at Wembley) and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Gareth Southgate's pain at missing a crucial penalty at Euro 96 is an important reference point, while the racism faced by England's Black players after the team's loss to Italy in 2021 also forms a key plot line.
The TV adaption could expand upon that format and there might also be room for a story from this summer's European Championships in Germany!
An official statement from the BBC reads as follows...
"It’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t the England team win at their own game?
"With the worst track record for penalties in the world, Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land.
"Dear England is a fictionalised account of the struggles and successes of England’s football teams, based on extensive research and interviews. The stage play premiered at the National Theatre to five-star reviews and a sell-out run in 2023, before transferring to London’s West End."
Dear England cast
Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale, Shakespeare in Love) has won critical acclaim for his performance as Southgate in the National Theatre production and he will be reprising that role in the BBC One drama.
Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who, Toxic Town) joins the cast as Pippa Grange, the England men’s team psychologist, while Jason Watkins (The Game, The Crown) is former FA chairman Greg Dyke.
Elsewhere, John Hodgkinson (Small Axe, Life After Life) reprises his stage role as former FA chairman Greg Clarke. Daniel Ryan (The Bay, The Hack) is Steve Holland, former assistant manager for the England men’s team. Sam Spruell (The Gold, Fargo) will also star as fictional coach, Mike Webster.
The rest of the cast is as follows...
- Adam Hugill (Sherwood) will play Harry Maguire
- Josh Barrow (Hostage) will play Jordan Pickford
- Lewis Shepherd will play Dele Alli
- Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman) is Harry Kane,
- Edem-Ita Duke (Mr Loverman) is Marcus Rashford
- Francis Lovehall (A Thousand Blows) is Raheem Sterling
- Abdul Sessay (Piglets) is Bukayo Saka
- Jacob Greenway (The Dream Lands) is Jude Bellingham
- David Shields (Masters of the Air) is Jordan Henderson
- Hamish Frew (Generation Z) is Eric Dier
- Alfie Middlemiss (Waterloo Road) is Phil Foden
- Riess Fennell (The Football Fantastics) is Jadon Sancho
- Daniel Quincy Annoh (The Recruit) is Ollie Watkins
- Bobby Schofield (Unforgivable) is Wayne Rooney
- Dom Rayner will play Cole Palmerr
- Alexander Parsons will play Jesse Lingard
Dear England trailer
There's no trailer for this one yet, but we'll be sure to keep you updated when one arrives.
