Avid Manchester United supporter Rory McIlroy has admitted he’d ‘rather be a Liverpool fan at the moment’ following the Red Devils’ mixed start to the season.
McIlroy, who has never shied away from opening up about his love of the Premier League side, featured on the Late Late Show with fellow Irishman and United fan Patrick Kielty.
During a segment, which saw McIlroy and Kielty go head-to-head in a golf challenge, the television presenter said: “Maybe we should play for something, maybe as two Man United fans, the loser has to put this on.”
In Kielty’s hands, much to the disgust of McIlroy, was a red shirt donning the famous colours of United’s rivals, Liverpool.
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The shirt sparked a mixed reaction from the onlooking crowd, with some jeering it, while others celebrated its appearance.
But the ever-witty McIlroy was quick to make a joke out of the situation, replying: “In fairness, I’d probably rather be a Liverpool fan at the moment.”
While clearly in jest, it’s quite the step down from McIlroy, who previously hinted he’d be open to becoming an investor at Old Trafford.
Speaking after Sir Jim Ratcliffe confirmed his minority takeover of the club, McIlroy commented: "I would have loved to have taken 0.00001 per cent at Manchester United when Sir Jim Ratcliffe took 25 per cent.
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“And if another opportunity comes my way, I will look at it, but it's not something that has come across our table as yet."
However, should the chance to invest in United come along again, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d put his money into a sports entity, having become a backer of F1 Team Alpine.
On the venture, McIlroy said: "It's a great opportunity, I've always been a big fan of F1.
"There has been quite a bit of Northern Irish/Irish connection there with Eddie Jordan and Eddie Irvine back in the day. It's always been something I followed.
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"And then when this opportunity came up, I just think with the popularity of F1, how much it's booming in the US in particular - and I have invested in a few things - but this has got more of a story and a journey.
The PGA Tour star continued: "It's no surprise they went to market and got some investors in but I think it obviously stabilises the team and it gives them some confidence going forward.
"F1 as a whole they do it so well. Golf could learn quite a bit from F1 in terms of some of the set-up stuff and how they do things."
