Classy Leeds? Will Ferrell reportedly joins celebrity investors at football club

Will Ferrell is reportedly set to become the latest celebrity to be a minority investor in the Championship football club Leeds United.

Hollywood actor Ferrell has bought a stake in Leeds owners 49ers Enterprises, according to a report in the Sun newspaper. He will join the likes of fellow thespian Russell Crowe, the Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and professional golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

Ferrell, best-known for comedic roles in films like Anchorman, Elf and Zoolander, is the co-owner of the Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC. He revealed he was a big fan of English football during a trip to watch Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa last season.

The 56-year-old also saw Wrexham defeat Wealdstone in a National League game on the same trip. The Welsh club have been revived under the ownership of American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, earning back-to-back promotions to earn a place in League One next season.

Leeds missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the regular Championship season. Their 2-1 home defeat to Southampton was ultimately academic as Ipswich guaranteed second place in the final table with a 2-0 home win over Huddersfield.

Daniel Farke’s side still have a chance to bounce straight back to the top flight a year after relegation by winning the playoffs. They face Farke’s former side, Norwich City, in the first leg of their semi-final at Carrow Road next Sunday.

During his previous visit to the Etihad Stadium, Will Ferrell struck up a friendship with Manchester City player Jack Grealish. He posted selfies alongside the boyhood Aston Villa fan and went on to make an eerily prescient prediction.

“Great to meet my new British friend Jack Grealish at the Etihad today,” Ferrell said. “He told me to buy Birmingham City and to get them relegated to League Two.” Since then, the Blues have been taken over by US owners – and dropped into League One despite a final-day victory over Norwich.