Sheeran aids Ipswich transfer pre-Taylor Swift gig

Ipswich Town have revealed that pop star and minor shareholder Ed Sheeran was called to help them sign a player moments before joining Taylor Swift on stage at Wembley Stadium.

Sheeran, the British pop star and lifelong Ipswich fan bought a small stake in the club in August, ahead of their return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.

"In the summer, we were trying to persuade one particular player to join the football club and realized very quickly that he was an Ed Sheeran fan," Ipswich CEO Mark Ashton said, speaking at a Soccerex industry event in Miami.

"Ed jumped on a Zoom call with him at the training ground, just before he stepped on stage with Taylor Swift. Hopefully that was a key part in getting the player across the line."

Ashton didn't disclose the player in question, saying only: "He's certainly scoring a few goals."

Sheeran and Swift were on stage together at a show at Wembley Stadium on Aug. 15, a day before Ipswich signed Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn.

Szmodics was the top scorer in the second-tier Championship last season, and after scoring from an overhead kick in Ipswich's 2-1 win at Tottenham this month, he posted a photograph of himself with Sheeran on Instagram.

"Overhead kick, win & a smudge with big Ed. Get in there," Szmodics, the Ireland international, wrote.

Sheeran is Ipswich's most famous supporter and has been the club's shirt sponsor since 2021. His status as a minority owner grants him access to an executive box at Ipswich's Portman Road stadium and he is regularly seen at matches.

Ipswich hosts Manchester United on Sunday in a match notable for being Rúben Amorim's first in charge of United.

Ashton spoke highly of Sheeran at the Soccerex event, saying with a smile: "He's a local man, a global superstar, sponsor of the football club, now a shareholder and now officially a part of our recruitment team."