Was this the journey that satisfied Will to purchase into the gorgeous recreation? Ferrell joked about with Wrexham gamers whereas visiting Ryan Reynolds’ Welsh facet – as Hollywood star ‘buys giant stake in Leeds United’

Shopping for a ‘giant’ stake in Leeds United marks the subsequent chapter within the Hollywood icon Will Ferrell’s ever-growing love for soccer.

The Elf actor is understood to be an enormous fan of the gorgeous recreation, having grow to be a co-owner of MLS facet LAFC in 2016 and making common appearances at Soccer Assist.

Nevertheless, a transfer into English soccer through Championship high-flyers Leeds marks a change in path for the 56-year-old who till now has been content material to be a spectator solely on this facet of the pond.

And it could have been journey simply over the border to Wrexham, alongside his A-list buddies Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, that gave him the bug for possession within the British Isles.

The comic was pictured alongside the pair throughout a go to to the Welsh membership final yr, and made an look of their hit documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham’.

Ferrell was seen paying a go to to the workforce’s stadium locker room the place he shook fingers with the gamers and referred to them as ‘well-known’.

As one participant was getting a leg therapeutic massage, the Anchorman star provoked laughter by saying: ‘That may be a beefy thigh there

‘Is that stress-free or painful or each?’ Ferrell requested after the laughter subsided.

‘Little bit of each,’ the participant responded.

Ferrell continued to let the jokes fly, asking a workers member throughout the room if he ‘wanted a massage’.

‘These are magic fingers’ Ferell joked.

He then jokingly asks the athletes about membership house owners McElhenney and Reynolds, asking: ‘Do you guys like Ryan and Rob or not likely? You will be trustworthy.’

Ferrell’s query was met with laughter and no response. The Anchorman star gave the gamers a hand gesture suggesting their neutral stance as a solution. ‘Rob is sweet. Ryan? Dodgy Canadian.’

Away from the bottom the actor was seen popping into native pub The Turf, which is the place Wrexham AFC is believed to have been initially shaped 159 years in the past.

Ferrell was snapped sitting round a desk with a number of locals, in addition to the proprietor Wayne Jones previous to the match. 

He then despatched a message out to all of the membership’s 580,000 followers on X, previously generally known as Twitter, after taking management of a digital camera and recording a video of himself on the pitch.

The comedian actor teased supporters by pretending to ‘repair my hair’ in entrance of the digital camera for nearly 20 seconds, earlier than holding the lens proper up near his face.

‘Hello, it is Will Ferrell, and that is my first time right here – the place are we once more? Wrexham!’ he joked.

‘I am simply actually excited to see the match, I will be trustworthy with you, I am just a little nervous!’ he continued, earlier than staring into the lens and strolling off. 

Ferrell’s relationship with soccer goes far past his 2005 movie ‘Kicking & Screaming’ – he has been seen frequently attending matches and has posed for photos with the likes of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Two years after its founding in 2014, Ferrell turned a co-owner of Los Angeles FC in MLS. LAFC received the MLS Cup in 2022 after beating the Philadelphia Union in penalties.

He will probably be hoping for comparable success at Leeds United following his choice to put money into the West Yorkshire membership.

Information of his choice to purchase in was revealed on Saturday, after it was confirmed The Whites must undergo the play-offs of their battle for promotion to the Premier League. 

The Solar on Sunday reported Ferrell has pumped a ‘giant’ stake into Leeds’ American house owners 49ers Enterprises.

An insider mentioned: ‘It is true – Will Ferrell owns a share of Leeds.

‘The 49ers will probably be saying his involvement within the coming days and he is wanting ahead to sprinkling just a little stardust on the membership.

‘He loves soccer and has been significantly impressed by the fervour of the English recreation.’

The transfer is considered as ‘a critical funding alternative’, with Leeds doubtlessly simply three video games from returning to the Premier League.

The membership’s ‘large fanbase’ has additionally been cited as a purpose behind the enterprise deal, with the supply including: ‘He is aware of his soccer and he’s decided to assist convey again the glory days to Leeds’.

A spokesman for Leeds mentioned: ‘We’d by no means touch upon the standing of particular person buyers.

‘It could be as much as them to touch upon any stake they’ve within the membership.’

He’s removed from the primary well-known face to place their cash into the gorgeous recreation.

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham in 2020, and have overseen back-to-back promotions which imply the North Wales membership will play League 1 soccer subsequent season. 

Maybe one other taking inspiration from the pair is NFL star Tom Brady – who retired from gridiron soccer a yr in the past – after he purchased a minority stake in Birmingham Metropolis FC final August.

Seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion Tom chairs a brand new advisory board for the workforce, and applies his ‘in depth management expertise and experience’ throughout well being, vitamin and wellness for the EFL Championship facet.

The quarterback mentioned of the transfer into ‘soccer’: ‘Birmingham is an iconic membership with a lot historical past and fervour and to be a part of the Blues is an actual honour for me.’

Nevertheless, issues haven’t gone fairly so properly for him after Birmingham have been relegated to League One after an atrocious mid-season stoop following the sacking of supervisor John Eustace who was changed by former England striker Wayne Rooney.

Black Panther actor Michael B Jordan was introduced as a part-owner of Premier League Bournemouth in 2022 – and earlier this yr, it was reported that he was making a equipment for Cherries to put on.

In March it was revealed that Boyzone stars Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy, and Brian McFadden of Westlife, had joined forces to purchase non-league outfit Chorley FC in Lancashire.

Showing on Good Morning Britain to debate their plans, Brian mentioned he and Keith have been introduced on board at Shane’s suggestion after his efficiency automotive enterprise, Assetti Efficiency, purchased a stake within the membership earlier this yr.

He instructed Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley: ‘It was positively our dream as children however I do not assume we ever thought it was going to occur.

‘All of it occurred with Shane Lynch – his motorsport firm are the blokes who purchased Chorley FC and so they got here to Shane and requested if he can be fascinated with being concerned within the membership.

‘He mentioned ‘I do not actually know a lot about soccer however I do know two lads that do,’ so he known as us and right here we’re, we’re now a part of Chorley Soccer Membership.’

Involvement within the English leagues by British celebrities has been a bit extra frequent, with maybe probably the most well-known instance being acclaimed TV chef Delia Smith’s continued possession of Norwich Metropolis FC.

Delia joined the board of the membership in 1996 alongside her husband Michael Wynn Jones in 1996 at a time of great monetary issues for the facet, which had additionally suffered relegation to the then-First Division.

And her tenure has been marked with memorable moments – not least her rousing rallying cry to followers in February 2005 throughout a relegation battle with Manchester Metropolis through which she bellowed: ‘Who’re you? Let’s be ‘avin you! Come on!’

Singer Elton John was among the many earliest adopters of famaous faces injecting cash into their native workforce, becoming a member of the board in 1974 and turning into chair of the membership in 1976.

Rocketman Elton propelled the membership to its first ever top-tier aggressive season in 1982 with Graham Taylor as supervisor after climbing from the bottom rung on the ladder in simply seven years. 

The singer’s curiosity waned and he bought the membership in 1990 to businessman Jack Petchey. However Elton then purchased the membership again in 1996 following years of battle, reappointing Taylor as supervisor.

He then remained chair of the membership till 2002, however is now honorary life president. The east stand was not too long ago renamed the Sir Elton John stand in his honour whereas a close-by road was renamed Yellow Brick Street after his seminal 1973 album.

In 2023, rapper Stormzy joined a consortium together with Wilfried Zaha to purchase Mixed Counties League Premier Division South membership Croydon Athletic.

It was a poignant buy for the rapper – actual identify Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr – who was born in Croydon and grew up in close by Norbury; Zaha additionally grew up in Croydon after transferring there from Cote D’Ivoire on the age of 4.

‘The consortium (referring to Stormzy, Zaha and Younger) will personal, function and develop their childhood hometown soccer membership,’ an announcement issued final June saying the acquisition learn.

‘The three consortium members are enthusiastic about growing a neighborhood asset within the borough that gave them their very own alternatives. They hope to take your entire neighborhood on this thrilling journey with them.’

Ex-Little Combine star Jade Thirwall was one of many followers who helped to speculate practically £300,000 in South Shields FC again in 2020.