HIS albums were emblazoned on the shirt of his beloved Ipswich Town for four seasons – but now Ed Sheeran’s latest musical offering will be displayed on a limited-edition kit for one of Europe’s top clubs.
Play, released by the award-winning English singer-songwriter last month, will appear on the front of the shirts worn by Lamine Yamal and co when FC Barcelona face off against arch rivals Real Madrid in two weeks’ time.
The collaboration forms part of the Catalan giant’s sponsorship deal with music streaming platform Spotify.
Sheeran becomes the first British male solo pop star to feature on the club’s jersey, following in the footsteps of other acts such as Travis Scott, Coldplay and Drake.
“Seeing my new album Play on the Barca shirt is one of those moments I can hardly believe,” the 34-year-old said.
“I’ve loved football my whole life, so bringing my music to such an iconic stage and sharing it with fans everywhere means a lot to me.”
The move was praised by Barca’s star Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who said: “Ed’s songs have been part of our dressing-room playlist for a long time, so seeing his new album on our shirt for El Clasico is really special.”
Some 1,899 ‘match-quality’ shirts will be made with the logo, 22 of which will be signed by players.
Sheeran will also pen his autograph on 11 of the shirts – while his logo will also appear on other club merchandise, including T-shirts and scarves.
“We’re thrilled to bring a true football fan to such a major moment as El Clasico,” said Marc Hazan, Spotify’s vice-president of partnerships and marketing.
“Ed’s genuine love for football and his status as one of the world’s biggest artists made putting Play on the Barca shirt a natural choice.”
Sheeran has over 92 million monthly listeners on Spotify – the third most for any artist – and has sold 200 million records worldwide.
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Ben Pawlowski
