David Tennant to star in Busby Babes BBC drama

David Tennant will play Jimmy Murphy who helped piece together the team after the accident

David Tennant is to star in a new BBC drama about Manchester United and a plane crash that killed eight of the team's players in 1958.

United will bring to life the disaster using first-hand interviews with the survivors and their families.

The players, who became known as the Busby Babes - after manager Sir Matt Busby, became the youngest side to win the football league.

Former Doctor Who star Tennant will play Welsh-born coach Jimmy Murphy.

Murphy, from Rhondda, was not involved in the fatal crash but helped to piece together the team as Busby recovered from his injuries.

He managed to steer United to that season's FA Cup final and in the same year, as Wales coach, guided his country to the World Cup quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Brazil.

At the time of the accident the team were on their way home from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade.

During a stop-off in Munich to refuel, the Ambassador prop-plane skidded off the runway on the third attempt to get airborne for the onward flight.

Half of the 44 passengers - including players, United staff, journalists, supporters and crew - were killed.

Actor Jack O'Connell, who has appeared in Skins, will play Bobby Charlton and Sam Claflin from Any Human Heart will play Duncan Edwards, who died 15 days after the crash.

The actor playing Busby is yet to be named.

Chris Chibnall, whose credits include Torchwood, has written the TV film.