Will Ferrell explains Leeds United investment decision as new shareholder named during Elland Road appearance

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One of Leeds United’s most famous investors was at Elland Road on Saturday.

Retired basketball player Peter Cornell is the latest celebrity to emerge as an investor in Leeds United - and it was he who planted the seed for Will Ferrell’s eventual arrival.

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Ferrell was at Elland Road on Saturday for the first time since purchasing a minority stake in Leeds earlier this year, with the 57-year-old in attendance for the Championship clash against Burnley. Eagle-eyed supporters noticed the actor posing for pictures pitchside with the yellow away shirt before making his way to the directors’ box with chairman Paraag Marathe.

But before all of that, Ferrell joined LUTV in the dugout for his first interview discussing new club Leeds. And in explaining the background to his own investment decision, the American revealed another name from the ever-growing group.

“[The investment] came about through a friend of mine who is part of the investor group and was in a movie with me, the very famous ‘Semi-Pro’ in which I played Jackie Moon, a movie about the ABA which is a defunct basketball league,” Ferrell told LUTV. “Pete Cornell was part of the cast, and he emailed me saying he was possibly going to invest and they'd asked if I'd be interested. I spoke with Paraag and next thing you know I was like ‘please sign me up’.”

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Ferrell and Cornell have joined a growing list of investors from across the pond, with golf stars Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas and several players across basketball, baseball and ice hockey stumping up cash for a part in the project. And the growing American influence is not only present at Leeds, with huge names such as Tom Brady and Ryan Reynolds getting involved further down the EFL.

“I think we’re finally catching up to what a wonderful game this is,” Ferrell said of that growing presence. “Obviously Americans are very heavy into their sports but there’s still a level of devotion to English football that is unlike anywhere in the world. I think we find that exciting and admire it.”

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Ferrell quickly made his way up to the directors’ box for the game and was spotted filming the Elland Road South Stand belt out Marching On together as the players walked out. And the well-known actor admitted he could end up getting carried away with the atmosphere.

“I’ll probably have my shirt off inside the first five minutes and I'll be thrown out,” he joked. “I won't even make it to the 10-minute mark.”

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