Jude Law has been cast as legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly in a new TV series. The show, written by Jack Thorne of Adolescence, will focus on Shankly's success at Anfield as he turned the Reds into a global powerhouse of the sport.
From Second Division to English football's most successful club
The Scot took over Liverpool in December 1959 and rebuilt them, taking the Reds from a side languishing in the Second Division and turning them into the most successful club in English football. Under Shankly, Liverpool were promoted from the old Second Division before going on to win three First Division titles, two FA Cups, four Charity Shields and a UEFA Cup during his 15-year stint as manager.
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner believes the series could become something close to The Crown, following the club beyond Shankly's reign into further seasons. Speaking to Deadline, Werner broke the news of Jude Law's casting. He said: "It's a story about family and relationships through the lens of a football club. My feeling is, if you do nothing more in that first episode than show 50,000 people singing You'll Never Walk Alone, I defy anyone who won't be moved by that one scene."
BAFTA winner takes on the role despite Spurs allegiance
BAFTA-winner Law, who has also been twice nominated for Oscars, takes on the role despite being a Tottenham Hotspur fan. Shankly's granddaughter, Karen Gill, has also been involved with the production of the series, with filming to take place across the city.
She said: "I think it's a wonderful way to share the story of my grandad's time at LFC. Anybody who knows anything about the club knows what it meant to Bill Shankly. This is going to be a must watch for all Liverpool fans and it's a privilege to have the chance now to showcase his story to the wider world. I'm looking forward to seeing how this project unfolds and being a part of it."
Show to celebrate both club and city
Thorne added: "I'm excited to be telling this incredible story and it's an honour to be working alongside A24 and Liverpool Football Club. Our goal is to focus not just on the club, but on the city itself - because, and this is one thing Bill Shankly made sure, the club belongs to the city and the city belongs to the club. We have a chance with this show to celebrate both a magnificent football club and a magnificent city, whilst being honest about the struggles of the 1960s and 1970s in one of our industrial heartlands. We hope to honour the fans, to the city, and the legacy of Liverpool FC in bringing its story to life."
Shankly, often referred to as Shanks, is arguably the most famous figure in Liverpool's history and an icon of the club. He is immortalised in both the legacy he left at Anfield and by the statue that stands outside the ground, Shankly will always be remembered as charismatic, devoted and fanatic about football.
Originally from a small Scottish mining community, Shankly passed away on 29 September 1981 at the age of 68. He was cremated at the Anfield Crematorium and his ashes were scattered on the Anfield pitch at the Kop end. On top of his resounding success at the club, Shankly is also responsible for introducing You'll Never Walk Alone to the club, having heard it from Gerry Marsden in the 1960s, he was said to have been moved by the anthem. Soon after, the song was sang by the thousands of fans who filled Anfield each week and cementing it in the club's history.
