Ed Sheeran reveals he began writing Bond theme before Billie Eilish replaced him

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran (PA/Hannah McKay)

Ed Sheeran has said he was writing a theme for the most recent Bond film No Time To Die before he was replaced by Billie Eilish.

The 31-year-old singer-songwriter claimed he was attached to the project before the exit of Danny Boyle as director.

Boyle cited “creative differences” and was replaced by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the first American to helm a 007 film.

Billie Eilish wrote No Time To Die with her brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell when she was 17 (Ian West/PA)

Sheeran told That Peter Crouch Podcast: “You’ve got to, eventually as an English singer, want to do a Bond song.”

He added: “I was (close to) doing one, and they changed directors and they just changed scripts and that was it. I done all the meetings. I had started writing it.

“I’m not going to pretend it didn’t hurt not doing it. If they come back, I’ll be like, ‘Yeah, yeah, of course, yeah’.”

He also said that he would “maybe” record his own sports anthem like Frank Skinner, David Baddiel and the Lightning Seeds’ Three Lions, which he praised as “our national anthem”.

“We’ve discussed it lots of times,” he said. “I think I’ve been asked to do the rugby one, the cricket. I’ve definitely been asked.”

Sheeran talked about football and Christmas songs: “If you don’t have anything to offer that is going to be different or better, just don’t do it.”

Eilish wrote No Time To Die with her brother and collaborator Finneas O’Connell when she was 17 – the youngest artist to have recorded a Bond song.

The 20-year-old American singer-songwriter took home a Grammy, Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice and Academy Award for the theme.

Sheeran has previously written I See Fire for The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug and All Of The Stars for 2014 film The Fault In Our Stars.