One Direction star Liam Payne was a huge football fan and once impersonated England star Jack Grealish for charity.
The singer-songwriter's tragic death was confirmed after he fell from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina and tributes from the world of football have been pouring in. Payne, 31, was a big supporter of Championship side West Brom and once flaunted his own football skills as part of the Soccer Aid England team.
Liam Payne impersonated Grealish in the hope it would improve his quality on the pitch
In the hope of imitating the skills of the Manchester City winger, the singer from Wolverhampton rocked up to training before the iconic charity match sporting Grealish's recognisable hairstyle. And in doing so he played his part in helping to raise more than £14million for UNICEF UK.
He opted for curtains and a headband in the hope it would give him the edge over his fellow celebrities and former pros on the pitch. Speaking to Talksport in a dodgy Birmingham accent at the time, he said: "Alright, I was a Brummie myself. Peaky Blinders, mate. Alright, bab!"
"Yeah, I had sunglasses on as well. It was a bit more convincing. It is obvious what is going on here. I am going to have a chat with him later actually and get the real energy," he continued.
It didn't seem to pay off though, with Payne only lasting half an hour on the Old Trafford pitch and England losing 4-2 for the fifth straight time. The singer went up against legends of the game including Roberto Carlos and Hernan Crespo, with Olympian Usain Bolt captaining the winning team.
News of Payne's recent death saw Grealish post on Instagram where he expressed his shock at the news and called on people to be "nicer to each other in this world".
His boyhood club West Brom also released a statement saying: "We're shocked and saddened to learn the passing of Baggies fan and musician, Liam Payne. Our thoughts are with Liam's family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time."
Payne previously admitted he was a huge Baggies fan when appearing in Soccer Aid back in 2022, but confessed "I don't get to the games as often as I'd like".
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