Derby County FC fans were delighted last week when George Clooney hinted he might be interested in buying a stake in the club – but none more so than the club’s manager’s wife, Coleen Rooney.
In an interview with Derbyshire Life magazine, the Hollywood star, 60, spoke of his love of the team – nicknamed the Rams – which he was first introduced to by his Money Monster co-star, Derbyshire-born actor Jack O’Connell.
“[They] are a great football club with a fantastic history and I am sure there is a great future too,” George said of the cash-strapped club, which went into administration last September and it is now battling relegation.
“I know there have been problems in recent times, but nothing that cannot be fixed and – under the circumstances – the team has been working really hard and playing well.” Adding that he once looked into buying Malaga Football Club, he added, “Perhaps owning a football club is the next best thing to playing for one. Maybe one day…”
And while football fans went wild over the comments, Coleen was more excited about the prospect than most, and not just because of what it could mean for the team. According to an insider, the 35-year-old WAG is keen for husband Wayne, 36 – who was said to be “surprised” by the reports linking George to his club – to meet with the actor, and has even set her sights on befriending his wife, Amal, 44.
“Wayne and George have been in touch, following his interest in the team,” a source tells Closer. “Coleen urged Wayne to reach out and follow up George’s comment, and she’s keen to reach out to Amal herself. But Wayne has asked her to hold off on that for now, so he can keep things on a professional footing.”
But Coleen – who shares sons Kai, 12, Klay, eight, Kit, six, and Cass, four, with Wayne – is said to be keen. “While she understands and respects Wayne’s wishes, she’s urged him to invite the Clooneys over for Sunday lunch with the children – she thinks it would be a great chance for them all to get to know each other more personally as well as it being an opportunity for Wayne and George to connect and talk about the team,” our source continues.
“Wayne’s on the fence, as while he appreciates it would be great to get their families together, he doesn’t want to seem too keen and make it look as if they have just want an A-list friendship.”
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Coleen is known for being very family oriented and maintains a trusted inner circle of close friends, many of whom aren’t in showbiz. However, sources say she has a lot of respect for human rights lawyer Amal, and that she is interested in learning more about her philanthropic efforts. Together with George, the lawyer founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which works to protect marginalised communities, seek justice for refugees and opposes hate crimes.
“George and Amal’s Hollywood sparkle is very appealing, but Coleen is interested in their philanthropy too,” says the insider. “It’s something she’s keen to do more of. While the football situation is all very much still talks and whispers, Coleen’s been thinking about hotspots to go for dinner with Amal and George, and thinks it would be fun to get her boys together with their twins, Alexander and Ella – who are four like Cass – for playdates.”
While George hasn’t explicitly said he will invest in Wayne’s team, Bernard Bale – who conducted the interview – said he “wouldn’t put it past” him.
“Clooney is not short of money, he is a fun guy, he does love sport and he has followed Derby County for a number of years,” revealed the journalist. “It wouldn’t surprise me if just for the hell of it he said, ‘Yeah, I’ll throw in £1 million’, or however much it might be. He’s quite an off-the wall guy.”
The A-list club owners
If it all goes ahead, George wouldn’t be the first celebrity to have a stake in a football club. Sir Elton John bought Watford, the team he supported as a child, in 1976, and celebrity chef Delia Smith is a key investor in Premier League club Norwich City.
More recently, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Welsh side Wrexham last year and vowed to turn the National League club into a “global force”.