RISHI SUNAK stood out from the crowd in a hoodie as he watched Southampton in the play-offs.
The Saints superfan took the evening off running the country to visit St Mary’s for the season-defining match.
The South Coast outfit headed into the match against West Brom with aspirations of reaching the play-off final.
Russell Martin’s side, however, had some extra support from the stands as the PM popped in from Downing Street to watch on.
Sunak was pictured in the stands wearing a black club hoodie with “Saints 85” written on it.
Eagle-eyed viewers were also able to make out that he was wearing the club’s shirt, from last season.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
While most of the supporters in the stadium were decked out in red and white, Sunak looked slightly out of place in his particular section as all those surrounding him were wearing suits.
Despite being a true blue conservative in politics, the PM has supported the red and white of Southampton since he was a boy.
Sunak was born there in 1980 and hails Matt Le Tissier as his favourite club legend.
He has previously admitted that he would be a “very happy man” if he had the opportunity to run the club.
Most read in Football
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
Southampton went into the game needing a result as the first leg ended in a 0-0 draw at the Hawthorns.
The Saints finished fourth in the Championship in their first season back since relegation from the Premier League.
The club accumulated 87 points but missed out on the automatic promotion spots to Ipswich Town and league champions Leicester City.
But it was not to be in vain as the Saints marched onto the final as they thumped West Brom 3-1 on the night.
Sunak would have been delighted watching on from the crowd.
However, despite his love of the club, the PM has not been too warmly welcomed by the manager.
When he watched the team beat Plymouth 2-1 in December, Russell Martin said: “He might have come down [to see the players], but I have no interest in saying hello.
“How’s that for honesty?
“I hope he enjoyed himself just like anyone who comes here. I hope they enjoy themselves.
“I have no interest [in chatting] because I’m a football manager. I’m not sure we’re aligned on too much politically but I know he’s a fan and I hope he enjoyed watching the team.
“I’m sure some people would be excited about him being here but we had a job to do and we were here to win a football match and we did.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Last night, Leeds sealed their spot in the play off final with a stomping 4-0 victory over Norwich City.
As a result, Canaries manager David Wagner was sacked by the club.
Previous PM football alliengences
Here’s a look at what football teams previous UK leaders have supported.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
