Ted Lasso has returned with the much-anticipated season three of the series hitting television screens this week - and it turns out there is a connection to Nottingham Forest.
One former Reds star joined fellow ex-pros from Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Wolves, Stoke City and Coventry City in having a hand in the success of the Apple TV+ show. And that's all down to former Fulham academy prospect Kasali Casal.
Casal was drafted in to help oversee the football element of the programme to make the match scenes as realistic as possible. He helped teach cast members skills, drills and tactical movements during his time on set, which began in 2020 during filming for season two.
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With his contacts in the game, Casal was able to bring in a number of ex-pros for the fictional AFC Richmond, including former defender George Elokobi, who spent time on loan at the City Ground in 2012.
In addition to Elokobi, he also recruited ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie, former Stoke winger Jermaine Pennant and Jay Bothroyd, who began his senior career at Coventry in 2000 and also spent time on loan at Stoke.
“[Assistant director] Sophie Worger told me it was a football show and they wanted to make the football scenes clearer and slicker and generally much more authentic," Casal told FourFourTwo.
"She knew that I had plenty of friends in football and asked whether I would be interested in helping them steer and guide the production team through the football scenes."
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