What football team does Ed Sheeran support? 'Bad Habits' singer's soccer loyalties explained

Ed Sheeran is one of the most well-known English singer-songwriters of his generation, having risen to prominence in with his hit singles 'The A Team' and 'Thinking Out Loud'.

His debut album + has since been certified seven-times platinum in the UK, and in 2012 he won the Brit Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.

In addition to being a talented musician, Sheeran is also an avid football fan. As a born and bred Englishman, his support of the Three Lions is perhaps a given, but which club does the ginger-haired wonder support? GOAL takes a look.

Which football team does Ed Sheeran support?

Ed Sheeran is an Ipswich Town fan.

Though Sheeran was thought to be a Chelsea fan after a series of deleted Tweets in which he admitted that his father was a supporter of the Blues, the 'Shape of You' singer is actually a more fervent follower of a much less elite football team. 

Having grown up in Ipswich, Sheeran is actually a Tractor Boys fan, and still attends games at Portman Road Stadium quite frequently. 

"I grew up in a place called Ipswich, Ipswich have a football team called Ipswich Town," Sheeran once said. "I enjoy watching football, [but] my dad's a Chelsea fan so I go with him every now and then."

The connection to Chelsea is real, however, and he notably performed a music video at Stamford Bridge.

He went on to further confirm his status as a Tractor Boys supporter during a BBC Radio One interview in which he admitted his song 'Castle On the Hill' is a "love song for Suffolk, because I don't think anyone has ever done that". You're probably right, Ed.

Sheeran was also confirmed as an official shirt sponsor for Ipswich Town for the 2021-22 season, and has additionally been given an official squad number of #17.

Ipswich shirts feature his distinctive ‘Tour’ logo on the front.

“This is bonkers really, isn’t it?” Sheeran told the club's official website . “When Ipswich told me I thought they were joking but I love the idea."

Ipswich Town CEO Mark Ashton added: “Having Ed involved is fantastic for the football club. 

“We saw pictures of him wearing the 17 shirt when he was at the Club to perform his Euro 2020 TikTok concert so Paul and I spoke about it and we agreed to offer Ed the chance of that squad number.

“It’s our way of thanking him for his support and we look forward to welcoming him to Portman Road this season.

“Hopefully he’s going to be in the official team group as well. The players will love that and if we can show on the pitch the creativity that Ed shows with his music, we will do okay this season!”

The singer has posted several photos of himself attending Ipswich Town matches on his Instagram, fully clad in Blues gear.

Sheeran also has a penchant for donning national team jerseys during his stadium tours, having recently sported the Argentina kit and Uruguay kit during his shows in the two countries, respectively.

He has also swapped shirts with LA Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic , and also wore a Welsh Ryan Giggs jersey while playing a summer arena show in Cardiff.

Does Ed Sheeran play football?

Just as he is a keen viewer of the sport, Sheeran is also a fan of playing football – but don't expect him to switch his musical career for one as a professional footballer.

Sheeran previously joked about his lack of striking prowess in an Instagram video showcasing his (sub-par) finishing ability. In a video for Move Concerts Brasil, Sheeran posted a video of himself missing an open goal, captioning it: '@realmadrid sign me up plz'.

In a post describing the incident, Sheeran elaborated: 'We were terrible but it was such a fun experience. I scored a few but I think the goalie was just being nice. Such a lovely day. Thank you Phil and the team for setting it up x'.

Following the game, Sheeran was even a shirt with 'Edinho' on the back

What other sports does Ed Sheeran watch?

Sheeran's interest in sport isn't just limited to football. He enjoys a wide range of sports, and is a noted rugby and NHL enthusiast.

Naturally, he is a supporter of the England rugby team and has also been spotted donning jerseys of hockey team New York Rangers and MLS side Atlanta United.

His interest in hockey isn't a one-off either, as his partner Cherry Seaborn is a hockey player best known for her time playing for the Duke University Blue Devil’s Field Hockey team, where she helped the team to reach the NCAA championship match in 2013.

Additionally, Seaborn also led her field hockey team to back-to-back British University championships in 2012 and 2013.