Ipswich Town: Ed Sheeran reveals how he became minority owner

Sheeran, a global popstar who was raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, has been involved with the Blues since they were in the third tier of English football, stepping in as their front-of-shirt sponsors.

Now in the Premier League, this will be his last season that he does it, with the club working hard to secure a replacement for the 2025/26 campaign onwards, according to chairman Mark Ashton.

Sheeran, however, was desperate to be involved with the club despite stepping away from sponsoring the shirts, which led to talks about him becoming a part owner of the club - with a 1.4% stake - in August 2024.

“The ownership conversation came up because I was stepping away from sponsorship,” he told Men in Blazers. “I took on sponsorship in League One, which is a very, very different financial conversation than Prem sponsorship.

“I felt that we were on this trajectory that was really special and oddly linked to the kit and the time it happened, there was a groundswell of support.

The popstar has sponsored Town's shirts since they were in League One (Image: PA)

“We finished in League One with the Magical Vegas kit, we changed the sponsorship – it just went, ‘bam, bam’.

“There was a conversation of whether I sponsor in the Prem or not. I got the bill through and I was like, ‘I don’t know about this’, but part of me wanted to do one season in the Prem because it’s been this lucky kit for us, I guess.

“It was always going to be one season, so when Mark and I had a conversation about it, I told him I wanted to do one season but I’d love to have involvement in the club - if there’s any way of me having a share.

“Win or lose, I don’t want the blame for anything. I’m a fan, I just want to enjoy the games, feel like I’m enjoying the games and not have fans thinking that I’m in the boardroom picking players.

“I’m very passive, get to watch the games and occasionally go down to the dressing room and jump around a bit.

“It was the natural progression from there, leaving the kit sponsor and becoming minority shareholder. Whether it’s this ownership for the next 50 years or not, I’d still love to retain my percent and be that forever.

“It feels really special being part of it. It’s any football fan’s dream to do, and I feel very grateful to be given the opportunity to be involved in this way.”

Sheeran claimed that his stake in the club gives him a 'sense of pride' (Image: PA)

Asked what it means to him in his own words, Sheeran explained: “It’s always felt like a sense of belonging. I felt very rudderless when I first started out. I had a great deal of success from my late teens and then tried to do things that people thought I should do.

“I moved to Los Angeles because that’s what popstars do. I did this, released this or wore this, but coming back to Ipswich, it gives me a sense of community, pride and being a part of something.

“The ownership part of it, it cements that in a way. It makes it permanent for me at least. It feel like, wherever I am in the world, I’m centred in on this beautiful club.”