10 Best Soccer Movies Ever

2. The Damned United

Straight up, the story depicted in The Damned United is not even remotely close to the truth, but it's powerfully entertaining nonetheless.

In short, Brian Clough was everything that English football needed. He was progressive, forward-thinking, bold, had a huge personality, and dragged unfancied Derby County to glory. At the time, Leeds United dominated the game and the rivalry between the two still persists to this day. At the heart of it, was the personal animosity between Clough and this counterpart at Leeds Don Revie.

The dramatised version of events in the film - which focuses on the disastrous 44 days when Clough was put in charge of Leeds United following Revie's departure - has been wildly pulled apart by everyone who was there, but the way it plays out on screen is brilliant. As a time capsule for the story, as well as British football as a whole, it's a remarkable achievement.

Colm Meany stars as Revie, but Timothy Spall, Jim Broadbent, and Stephen Graham are all excellent in their roles. Michael Sheen, however, puts in a star turn as the egomaniacal Clough, and the whole thing is arguably worth watching for his performance alone.