Pierce Brosnan set to play Sheffield boxing coach Brendan Ingle in 'Prince' Naseem Hamed film

The former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan is reportedly set to appear in a new film about the Sheffield boxing great ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed.

The Hollywood star is understood to have been lined up to play the legendary boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, under whose tutelage Hamed blossomed into one of boxing’s biggest draws, in the upcoming biopic.

The drama, Giant, will focus on their relationship as it tells the rags-to-riches story of Hamed’s remarkable rise from living above his parents’ shop in Wincobank to global fame and glory.

Rising star Amir El-Masry is now set to play Hamed in the rags-to-riches story, according to a new report on the entertainment website Variety.

What do we know about new Naseem Hamed film?

Paddy Considine was previously reported to have bagged the role of Brendan Ingle, with Mena Masoud supposedly set to appear as Hamed.

Despite being set in Sheffield, Variety has reported that shooting is set to begin in Leeds later this month.

It is not yet known whether any scenes will be shot in Sheffield, where the Wincobank gym at which Hamed learned his craft is still run by the family of the late Brendan Ingle.

Variety states that the film has been written and directed by Rowan Athale and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions, Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions, and AGC chairman and CEO Stuart Ford.

The Rocky actor and writer Sylvester Stallone is among the film’s executive producers. It is not known when the film is likely to hit cinema screens.

Who was Brendan Ingle?

Brendan Ingle was born in Dublin in 1940 and came to Sheffield as a young man to work in the city’s then booming steel industry. He boxed professionally but did not have a brilliant record himself in the ring.

He settled in Wincobank, where he was asked by a vicar to run community events. He ended up establishing his famous gym at what was St Thomas' boys and girls club on Newman Road.

It was there he honed the skills of a slew of champion boxers, including Johnny Nelson, Herol 'Bomber' Graham, Hamed, Ryan Rhodes, Junior Witter and Kell Brook.

But just as important for him as producing world-beating boxers was providing opportunities for young people who were struggling, and driving home to them the importance of a good education.

Brendan died in 2018, aged 77, but his legacy continues today at the gym he established.

How did Naseem Hamed rise to fame?

Hamed was Brendan’s most famous protege. He was one of nine siblings whose parents had come to the UK from Yemen and whose father initially worked at a steelworks in Sheffield before taking over the corner shop on Newman Road.

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He was just seven when he first walked into Brendan’s gym, where his father had taken him and his brother because they were getting picked on at school.

He fell in love with boxing and under Brendan’s guidance went on to conquer the world, winning the WBO featherweight title in 1995, aged just 21.

After their remarkable success together, Hamed and Brendan split in acrimonious fashion before Hamed’s glittering career was cut short by injury following his final fight in 2002.