One Direction's Louis Tomlinson, 22, to Help Buy Hometown Football Team?

1D hottie reportedly close to signing deal to become co-owner of soccer team he grew up watching

By Corinne Heller Jun 06, 2014 8:33 PMTags
Louis Tomlinson Beretta/Sims/Rex/REX USA

Louis Tomlinson of boy band One Direction is one lucky soccer fan.

Not only has the 22-year-old British singer gotten to play with his hometown team, the Doncaster Rovers, but he is also reportedly set to help buy it, which would make him one of the youngest football club owners.

An agreement for the sale has been reached and is set to be completed next week, BBC News reported on Friday, June 6. Tomlinson has not commented, nor has his reported co-buyer, former team owner John Ryan. A statement posted on the team's website last week said that "dialogue has taken place with external parties about a proposed takeover," without elaborating.

"I do wonder how much control Louis would have but on the basis of him helping out financially, that could be phenomenal for the town and the club as a whole," former Rovers player John Buckley told local newspaper the Doncaster Free Press, adding, "You dream of that kind of stuff as a kid and he's taking his chance. I wish them both good luck."

Tomlinson, whose pop group is currently one of the most popular and successful boy bands in the world, grew up in Doncaster, a city located in the county of South Yorkshire in England, about 170 miles north of London.

 A longtime fan, the singer got to play in a charity match with the Rovers, specifically, the club's reserves, in February. The event drew scores of One Direction fans.

"Wow what an incredible experience," the singer said at the time on his Twitter page, where his profile picture is a shot of him at the game. "Can't put into words how I feel :) I will never forget pulling on my own Doncaster Rovers shirt !!"

He also told BBC News, "I was just thinking, those boys get to do that every week. And it really is such an honor to be involved in a club that I spent most of my childhood going down to the games and just putting the shirt on is just, you know, a boyhood dream."