Southampton FC: Rishi Sunak's football team - but how often does he go to watch them?
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be hoping he doesn’t score any more own goals ahead of the General Election.
Rishi Sunak and the Conservative party are headed for a potentially disastrous general election on July 4 but before all that, let’s take a look at Sunak’s involvement in the world of football.
Football is not Sunak’s preferred sport - he is predominantly a fan of cricket and horse racing. He does seem to have a fleeting interest in the sport, however - let’s take a look at how deep this interest runs.
Which football team does Rishi Sunak support?
Sunak is a fan of Southampton. He has frequently been seen in the stands at St Mary’s Stadium for big games - he was in attendance when the Saints were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 season.
He has expressed a desire to take over Southampton in the past and received a birthday card signed by the entire squad when he was 18. Additionally, his father, Yashvir, has previously been a season ticket holder at the club.
While his love for Southampton seems apparent, his grasp on current footballing affairs seems limited. Recently, a video surfaced of him asking pub-goers in Wales if they were looking forward to the Euros - only to then be informed that Wales had failed to qualify.
Did Rishi Sunak send Southampton a message when they were promoted to the Premier League?
Southampton defeated Leeds United in the 2023/24 Championship playoff final - Sunak was not in attendance at Wembley Stadium, but he nonetheless sent them a celebratory message on his official X (formerly Twitter) page.
Did Rishi Sunak play football as a youngster?
It is unclear if Sunak played football while he was young - he has never explicitly stated so or otherwise, despite claiming to be a Southampton fan in his youth.
However, a recent video of him attempting to dribble around training cones has recently surfaced [via Sky News] - his awkward technique, combined with him almost falling over at one stage, indicates that he was not the most adept of footballers during his salad days.