Former England and Manchester United footballing (soccer) legend, David Beckham has invested in a new E-Sports team called Guild Esports.
Guild, as it refers to itself, is London-based and is basing its model on the traditional footballing academy model. It will scout for the best young talent and develop that talent to compete.
Although a new start up, executive chairman, Carleton Curtis, has a history of successful E-Sports management, having worked on both Overwatch League and Call of Duty Leagues. Curtis hopes the inaugural Guild team will make its debut in the autumn and compete in Rocket League, FIFA and Fortnite.
The press release welcomes Beckham’s move into the business and cites his “experience in developing sports businesses” and his “passion for guiding youth talent to achieve excellence,” with an opportunity to “strengthen this evolving sport.”
It’s no doubt that Beckham’s involvement will attract a lot of attention as well as some of the best gamers out there. Just to be affiliated with a player of Beckham’s calibre is a huge win, but how the inaugural team will compete is yet to be seen.
Beckham too has released a statement:
“Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to work with players at the top of their game, and I’ve seen first-hand the passion and dedication it takes to play at that level. I know that determination lives in our esports athletes today and at Guild we have a vision to set a new standard, supporting these players into the future. We are committed to nurturing and encouraging youth talent through our academy systems and I am looking forward to helping our Guild Esports team grow.”
