Guild Esports, co-owned by Beckham, is based in London and will follow a traditional academy model to develop esports talent. 

Scouts will be tasked with finding the best young players who will then be coached by those within the industry, with aim for them to turn professional.

Guild Esports will be fronted by executive chairman Carleton Curtis, who previously held senior esports roles at Activision Blizzard and Red Bull.

Curtis said: "The meteoric rise of esports shows no signs of slowing down and this is the perfect moment for Guild Esports to enter this exciting market.

"We have built an experienced management team and I am proud to have David Beckham as co-owner in this venture as his professionalism and deep experience of developing high-functioning sports teams aligns with our core strategy of building the best in class esports teams.

"At Guild Esports, David will be instrumental in helping shape the coaching programme implemented at our academies and we welcome his valuable mentoring as well as the inspiration he gives the younger generation of athletes.

"Esports is already one of the most popular spectator sports on earth and will continue to grow globally as excitement, accessibility and knowledge of the sector soars."

Beckham is not the first footballer to venture into esports and follows Welsh Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale and Leicester City's Austrian defender Christian Fuchs in creating his own team.

He is also the current President and co-owner of new Major League Soccer team Inter Miami.

Known for his celebrity status, Beckham has had his own fragrance and fashion lines, alongside his wife Victoria, the former Spice Girls singer.

A crossing and free-kick specialist, he won 115 England caps and is the only England player to score at three separate FIFA World Cups.

Beckham also captained his country and the 2002 comedy film Bend it Like Beckham made reference to his ability to curl the ball in its title.

Beckham added: "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."

Guild are expected to participate in various esports disciplines over the 2020-2021 season, including potentially Rocket League, FIFA 21 and Fortnite.

London-based artist Fergus Purcell, creator of skate label Palace's visual branding, will design its brand and a new fashion line.