Ted Lasso actor Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard in the show, has explained how he ended up becoming an Arsenal fan.

27 Oct 1999: Dennis Bergkamp of Arsenal lines up a free-kick during the UEFA European Champions League Group B match against Fiorentina played at Wembley Stadium, London. The game finished in a 1-0 away win for Fiorentina and saw the elimination of Arsenal from the second phase. (Alex Livesey/Allsport)
27 Oct 1999: Dennis Bergkamp of Arsenal lines up a free-kick during the UEFA European Champions League Group B match against Fiorentina played at Wembley Stadium, London. The game finished in a 1-0 away win for Fiorentina and saw the elimination of Arsenal from the second phase. (Alex Livesey/Allsport)

Popular TV show Ted Lasso stars Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard, and whilst many of Hunt’s co-stars are primarily actors simply playing the roles of football fans, coaches, and players, Hunt is a genuine Arsenal fan.

Explaining how that came about, Hunt revealed that it was due to some Dutch roommates he had earlier in life.

“I lived with these nine Dutch guys, who had all been in a frat together in Groningen,” Hunt explained. “Their frat was called The Cartel, which is why the jazz band in the show is called The Cartel.

“They built bleachers in our living room. That kind of enthusiasm is very, very infectious.

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“Then Dennis Bergkamp was [at] Arsenal at the time, and so Dutch people were like, ‘Hey, you should watch Arsenal.’

“And then I was watching, just passing a bar where Arsenal were playing Chelsea, and they were down 2-0 with 20 minutes left. And then Nwankwo Kanu scores a hat-trick in the last 15 minutes of the game, at Chelsea.

“That was the final piece of the puzzle. And there was no turning back. And I’m stuck with them now.”

16 Oct 1999: Nwankwo Kanu scores Arsenal's 4th goal during the FA Carling Premiership match against Everton at Highbury in London, England. Arsenal won the match 4 - 0. Credit: Tony O''Brien /Allsport
16 Oct 1999: Nwankwo Kanu scores Arsenal’s 4th goal during the FA Carling Premiership match against Everton at Highbury in London, England. Arsenal won the match 4 – 0. Credit: Tony O”Brien /Allsport

It’s never particularly surprising to hear that someone became an Arsenal fan during the Arsene Wenger era, thanks to players like Dennis Bergkamp and Nwankwo Kanu.

That was certainly a special period for the Gunners, with Premier League titles, FA Cups, the invincible season, and a style of football that wasn’t replicated anywhere else in the league at the time.

As Hunt points out, once those allegiances set in, you have no choice but to stick with the team through thick and thin. Not that Arsenal’s current resurgence could exactly be described as “thin”.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: (L-R) Actors Phil Dunster, James Lance, Brendan Hunt, and Jason Sudeikis from the television show Ted Lasso and Noel Gallagher are interviewed prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on April 26, 2023. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND: (L-R) Actors Phil Dunster, James Lance, Brendan Hunt, and Jason Sudeikis from the television show Ted Lasso and Noel Gallagher are interviewed prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on April 26, 2023. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Ted Lasso is currently in its third season, with the season finale to air on May 31st on Apple TV+.

Jason Sudeikis has won a couple of Golden Globe Awards for his role as the titular character on the show, and the cast and crew have also received a number of Emmy Awards including two Outstanding Comedy Series awards.

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