The 32-year-old actor, a lifelong supporter of Arsenal FC, said, “It is an honour to take on an ambassadorial role with the Premier League. I look forward to share my passion for football and hope that I can help develop and grow the fan base for the sport in India.” The league recently hosted an international fan park in Bengaluru, which saw more than 20,000 Indian fans engage with clubs and activities.

Premier League Managing Director Richard Masters said, “Ranveer Singh is a passionate Premier League supporter who connects with fans across India and the world.” “His knowledge of the game and commitment to its development and growth, both domestically and internationally, is what has led to the creation of this partnership. We look forward to working with Ranveer to encourage football fans in India to play, coach, referee and support the game,” Masters added.

The Premier League has committed to support the development of the game both at the grassroots and elite levels in India and has been running the international community programme Premier Skills there since 2007.

Premier Skills is a global coaching and referee development programme which uses football as a tool to engage and develop the skills of young people. The programme is run in partnership with the British Council, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Super League (ISL).