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A sports drama starring Michael Sheen and Stephen Graham is coming to Netflix. An adaptation of David Peace's bestselling 2006 novel The Damned Utd, The Damned United gives a largely fictionalised account of Brian Clough's short stint as manager for football team Leeds United in 1974. Directed by Tom Hooper (Cats) from a script by The Crown creator Peter Morgan, The Damned United looks at the novel to tell the story of Clough (Sheen) as he takes over the Leeds United manager gig after Don Revie (played by Colm Meaney) is appointed manager of England. The film chronicles Clough's 44-day tenure as manager and his fraught relationship with Revie, as well as his friendship with his longtime assistant manager Peter Taylor (played by Timothy Spall). Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV Also starring Graham as Billy Bremner, Jim Broadbent as Sam Longson and Maurice Roëves as Jimmy Gordon, The Damned United is tagged as 'worth the wait' on Netflix, meaning it'll be added to the streamer in the near future. The 2009 movie is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a critic score of 92% from 138 reviews, with Screen International calling it a "pleasingly high-quality British drama with some terrific performances" and The Spectator praising its "many beautifully crafted, touching moments". What to Read Next Fans over at IMDb also enjoyed The Damned United, with one person hailing it as "a fantastic film with brilliant performances by Sheen and Spall" and another viewer enthusing that Sheen's turn as Clough makes it "a joy to watch". Related: Timothy Spall joins "laugh-out loud" Netflix comedy from Friday Night Dinner writer Meanwhile, a third person called it a "perfect" film and celebrated Sheen's performance as Clough as "a remarkable portrayal". The stacked cast of the film also includes Game of Thrones' Joe Dempsie, Line of Duty stars Martin Compston and Brian McCardie, and The Witch star Ralph Ineson in a minor role. The Damned United will stream on Netflix. Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies. The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online. Reporter, Digital Spy Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy. Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).