Ed Sheeran played a role in securing one of their summer signings from Ipswich Town and did so under bizarre circumstances, it has been revealed.
Sheeran, 33, is a lifelong fan of the Tractor Boys, who were promoted to the Premier League last season, and has been the club’s front-of-shirt sponsor for the past three years.
He also recently acquired a 1.4 percent stake in the club, which is only a passive investment and is only a minority investment as he looks to strengthen their attempts to survive at the top level.
And reports now claim that Sheeran also played a key role in Ipswich’s summer activities after convincing one player to sign for the club.
Speak at Footballex in Miami, Florida, Ipswich CEO Mark Ashton said: ‘He’s a local man, a global superstar, football club sponsor and shareholder and is now officially part of our recruitment team!
‘Over the summer we tried to persuade a certain player to join the football club and we quickly realized he was an Ed Sheeran fan.
Ed Sheeran reportedly played a role in Ipswich Town securing one of their summer signings
Sheeran has been a front-of-shirt sponsor for Ipswich Town for the past three years
The player was not named but was said to ‘score a lot of goals’ (Photo: Ipswich striker Sammie Szmodics, left, and Liam Delap, right)
‘Ed did a zoom call with him on the training pitch just before he stepped on stage with Taylor Swift and hopefully that was a key part in getting the player over the line.’
Ashton declined to name the player in question, but did reveal: “He definitely scores a few goals!”
That probably means the player is either Liam Delap, who has scored six league goals this year, or Sammie Szmodics, who has scored three goals in the top flight.
Ashton continued: “There is an authenticity around Ed’s commitment to the club at all levels. He is a local man who supports his local community and we are proud to have him on board.
‘We have gone from the third tier of English football to the Premier League but we have not forgotten our roots and Ed is an important part of that. The work we do in the local community is essential to us.’
In August, Sheeran bought a minority stake in his boyhood club Ipswich Town and broke the news on Instagram with a video of him riding a tractor.
“I’m very excited to announce that I have bought a small percentage of my hometown football club,” the pop star wrote alongside the video.
“It is every football fan’s dream to own the club they support, and I am so grateful for this opportunity.
Sheeran is said to have called the player before he joined Taylor Swift on stage this summer
Sheeran recently acquired a stake in the club, which is solely a passive and minority investment
‘I have lived in Suffolk since I was three years old and although I travel the world and sometimes feel like an outsider in the big cities, Suffolk and Ipswich have always made me feel part of the community and protected.
‘It’s so nice to be an Ipswich Town fan. There are ups and downs, but football is about taking the highs and lows.
‘I’m not a voting shareholder or board member, I just put some money into the club I love and they return the gesture, so please don’t bother me with signature suggestions or tactics lol. I’m happy that the Prem starts this weekend.’
Sheeran is a four-time Grammy award-winning artist who became a sponsor at the club when Ipswich were in League One.
He initially signed a one-year contract in 2021 to promote his Mathematics Tour on the front of the club’s shirt, and this has been extended with each passing season.