Famous Man United Fans from Max Verstappen to Rachel Riley
When you are the second-most successful club in the history of English football, it is fair to say that you’re going to pick up some well-known names as supporters along the way. Some of them are what you might call ‘fair-weather fans’, insomuch as they want the club to do well, but probably aren’t heading along to Old Trafford to watch matches on a regular basis. Others are die-hards, sticking with the club through thick and thin, which means that they were still watching long after Sir Alex Ferguson stepped away from the dugout and things began to get a little bit tricky for the Red Devils and their succession of managers that followed.
With more than 600 people who vaguely fit into the category of ‘famous’ and support United, this list obviously isn’t exhaustive, but it will give you a sense of the kind of celebrities that have called themselves Manchester United fans over the years:
Alexandra Burke
In spite of the fact that she is from Islington in London and is surrounded by a family of Arsenal supporters, Alexandra Burke is actually a Manchester United fan. A big part of the reason why is that she, in her own words, ‘fancied David Beckham’ when he played for the Red Devils and remained loyal even when he left.
Sure, the winner of The X Factor in 2008 isn’t exactly that most famous person on our list, but her work as an actress in the years since then, starring in the likes of The Bodyguard in the West End, means that she has been seen by countless millions of people on both stage and screen, as well as at the Theatre of Dreams itself.
Barry Keoghan
When you get your breakout role in a Christopher Nolan film, it’s fair to say that you’re destined for greatness. In the years after that, Barry Keoghan appeared in the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Saltburn and the HBO miniseries Chernobyl, amongst countless other things along the way.
His love of Manchester United has been a lifelong affair, which led to him doing an advert for the club’s kit ahead of the 2024-2025 season; though it didn’t stop him from taking on the role of famous Scouser Ringo Starr in the four-film cinematic event directed by Sir Sam Mendes, which is due out in 2028.
Benedict Wong
Another member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe who also has a love for Manchester United is Benedict Wong, who uploaded a photo of himself on the set of the Doctor Strange sequel whilst wearing a beanie emblazoned with the club crest. Not all that surprising when you consider that he was born in Eccles.
The actor, known for the likes of 3 Body Problem on Netflix and the film Weapons, as well as his work in the MCU, has never been shy of expressing his love of the Red Devils. That led to him offering his predictions for the results of Premier League matches in 2014, taking on Mark Lawrenson for the BBC.
Cillian Murphy
It isn’t out of the realms of the possible that Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy will have had to call on all of his performance resources at times, pretending that he isn’t absolutely fuming with his beloved Manchester United as they lose 7-0 to Liverpool, for example. It would arguably have been a better performance than in Oppenheimer.
Born and raised in Cork, Murphy has joined countless others from the Emerald Isle in supporting the Red Devils. It might be the fact that United legend Roy Keane is also from Cork that resulted in Murphy following the club, leading to a spate of rumours on social media that he is to portray Sir Matt Busby in a film about the former manager’s life.
Conor McGregor
Insert your own joke about being kicked in the head so many times that supporting Manchester United was the natural result. UFC icon Conor McGregor might not be everyone’s cup of tea and has certainly been engaged in some controversies over the years, but his love of the Red Devils has never wavered.
As an eight-year-old, McGregor bought the club’s grey away top for Holy Communion, proving his dedication to the cause even then. He developed an admiration for the likes of Denis Irwin and Roy Keane, as well as considering Sir Alex Ferguson to be the ‘don’ of football, often taking to social media to praise the club.
Gemma Atkinson
Born in Bury in Greater Manchester, Gemma Atkinson first achieved a level of fame when she played Lisa Hunter in the Channel 4 show Hollyoaks. She caught the eye of numerous people in the role, not the least of whom was Manchester United player Cristiano Ronaldo, who she actually ended up dating for about seven months.
Having also worked as a glamour model, regularly appearing in the list of 100 Sexiest Women in magazines such as FHM, Atkinson is no part-time United fan. Instead, she has often attended matches at Old Trafford, including when working as an ambassador for the England side in the Soccer Aid match hosted there in 2025.
James Nesbitt
It is back to the Emerald Isle for the next person on our list, with James Nesbitt having been born and raised in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Although he’d appeared in numerous things before this, his breakout role was unquestionably when he played Adam Williams in Cold Feet, working with Helen Baxendale in the show.
Although he also supports Northern Irish team Coleraine Football Club and the Scottish side Rangers, it is easily Manchester United that he is most passionate about. After the completion of the takeover deal by Malcolm Glazer, which Nesbitt opposed, he filmed adverts for the executive boxes at Old Trafford.
Max Verstappen
A relentless winning machine that all but their most ardent supporters find entirely dislikable? It was somewhat inevitable that Max Verstappen was going to be a Manchester United fan, wasn’t it? The Formula One driver is a big fan of PSV Eindhoven from his home country of the Netherlands, but also loves the Red Devils.
Verstappen said that he liked the story of Sir Alex Ferguson as manager, but also found himself paying even more attention to the Premier League giants when Dutch players Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie began lining up at Old Trafford. He works hard to watch the games, provided he’s not needed on the track.
Rachel Riley
Although Rachel Riley was born in Rochford in Essex, her father was from Salford. He was a big Manchester United supporter, passing that love for his football team onto his daughter. Having obtained a second-class degree in applied maths at Oxford, she replaced Carol Vorderman on the Channel 4 show Countdown.
Having also appeared in the likes of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and the 11th series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she met her future husband, Pasha Kovalev, Riley has always been outspoken about her love of the Red Devils. In fact, she presented a programme on MUTV in 2010, doing a tour of the club’s training ground.
Rory McIlroy
If you had to pick the most famous Manchester United supporter in the world, there is a very good chance that Rory McIlroy would be at the top of your list. In fact, the Red Devils super fan said in the wake of his Masters win in 2025 that he would be happy to ‘don the Green Jacket’ at Old Trafford if it would inspire some better play.
The sixth player to complete golf’s Grand Slam by winning each of the four Majors, the Northern Irishman has even toyed with investing in the club at some point in the future. Between 2011 and 2014, McIlroy dated tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, who supports Liverpool, with no word on whether that’s why they broke off their engagement.
Tyson Fury
Insert your own joke about punched in the head so many times that supporting Manchester United was the natural result. Born in Manchester, Fury would go on to become the world heavyweight champion during his boxing career, as well as spouting some less than palatable opinions about the LGBTQ+ community at one point or another.
There could well be some debate over whether he should appear on this list at all, considering the fact that he said in the August of 2025 that he’d turned his back on the Red Devils because ‘they’re shit now’. There is no question that the Gypsy King had once been a big fan, though, often wearing United clothing on social media.