What football team does Conservative PM Rishi Sunak support?
THE Prime Minister’s political party may be blue, but Rishi Sunak’s favourite football team play in red and white.
But what football team does Rishi Sunak support? Here’s everything you need to know about the Prime Minister’s favourite team.
What football team does Rishi Sunak support?
Rishi Sunak has been open about the team he supports stating he’s a “massive football fan”.
The Prime Minister supports Premier League club Southampton FC, nicknamed the Saints.
His choice of club is not surprising as, like many, Rishi supports his hometown’s club – he was born in Southampton in 1980.
His favourite player is Saints legend Matt Le Tissier.
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When Sunak was 18, his father Yashvir owned a season ticket to watch the Saints.
Sunak said that he was given a card signed by the whole team for his 18th birthday celebrations.
This card became ‘’one of his most prized possessions’’.
Despite being a true blue in politics, Rishi’s team play in red and white shirts.
Sunak has openly expressed his interest in football – and the Prime Minister is a big fan of the sport.
At a hustings event taking place in Exeter in 2022, Sunak was asked what line of work he would have been interested in if he didn’t enter the world of politics.
Sunak responded: ‘‘I’m a massive football fan, I’m from Southampton and if I would get to be able to run Southampton [I would do that].”
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When hearing his answer, one fellow Saints fan cheered from the crowd.
Sunak added: ‘’Oh, wow, is there a Saints fan here? Look at that, brilliant.
‘’Well, there’s three of them. Amazing. Well, if I could run Southampton Football Club, I would be a very happy man.’’
Sunak has also tweeted about Southampton in the past.
In November 2020, when the Saints sat at the top of the Premier League table, he tweeted: ”Taken 32 years but worth the wait.
‘‘Now let’s hope it lasts.’’
His tweet was also accompanied by a snap of the Premier League table, showing Southampton at the top, above Liverpool.
What football teams do previous Prime Ministers support?
The PM may be a fan of Southampton, but not all his political predecessors shared his love for the sport – or the team.
Here’s a look at what football teams previous UK leaders have supported.
- Harold Wilson – Huddersfield Town
- Edward Heath – Burnley
- James Callaghan – appears to have preferred rugby
- Margaret Thatcher – didn’t have an interest in the game
- John Major – Chelsea
- Tony Blair – Newcastle United
- Gordon Brown – Raith Rovers
- David Cameron – Aston Villa
- Boris Johnson – appears to support “all of the London teams”, more interested in rugby