Hollywood A-lister Will Ferrell is set to join a group of celebrity investors looking to back Leeds United as they look to regain promotion into the top flight and re-cement their position.
The Step Brothers, Anchorman, Zoolander star and former SNL comedian is reported to be one of several famous faces who will be investing in Leeds after buying up “a significant minority stake” in the club’s owners, 49ers Enterprises.
Ferrell, who starred in a US soccer film called Kicking and Screaming in 2005, is said to have “fallen in love with English football” over recent years, having also featured in Soccer Aid back in 2012 and becoming co-owner of MLS side LA FC in 2016.
A big sports fan in general, he is now set to turn his interest in American football (both kinds) to Premier League prospects and the hope of lifting Leeds back out of the Championship after being relegated once again last season.
Now bought into the sporting investment group which controls San Francisco’s NFL team of the same name, the limited company also boasts a number of other big-name backers from the world of basketball.
Other sporting names involved include multiple NBA players like Russell Westbrook, pro golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, as well as record-breaking Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
As for other celebrities, fellow TV and film star Russell Crowe is also tied to 49ers Enterprises, with a large portfolio of stakeholders and existing franchise pedigree making it one of the wealthiest investment groups in the world.
While no official announcement has come from the Whites yet and club media chose not to comment when asked about the acquisition over the last week, it looks as though Ferrell is now on board ahead of a big finish to the season.
Read more:
- This Leeds brewery has just installed a giant fan zone for Euro 2024
- Olivia Dean sparkles at the Leeds Uni as she proves she is made for big stages
- Yorkshire clubs and Kellogg’s team up for free kids’ footy camps this summer
The 56-year-old is obviously just the latest American celeb to buy into a UK football club, with the most notable example being Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s dreamland takeover of newly-promoted Wrexham AFC back in 2020.
With Leeds having just missed out on automatic promotion following a tightly-contested campaign all season, they must now hope to navigate the ever-dramatic EFL playoffs.
No stranger to a blockbuster himself, we can only wish him luck with surviving what will inevitably be an even more stressful few weeks than the entirety of this season.
The question is, will some extra money from the likes of Will Ferrell be the boost that helps Leeds United consolidate themselves as a Premier League club?
Featured Images — James (via Flickr)/LA FC (via YouTube)
