Ricky Gervais has revealed how he fell back in love with football after a 30-year gap as the comedian joined the Stick to Football podcast.
The comedian featured as a guest on the podcast, joining regulars Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Roy Keane and Ian Wright.
His longevity in comedy was discussed on the podcast, with Gervais quizzed about the success of The Office.
A famous clip from the series had shown Gervais’ character David Brent declare ‘I bloody love football’ as he dribbled a ball around the office.
Gervais was asked about his own love of football on the podcast, with the 63-year-old admitting he had only recently fallen back in love with the game.
The Office and After Life star revealed how how watching football documentaries during the Covid lockdowns had drawn him back into the game.
Ricky Gervais has revealed why he fell in love with football again following a 30-year break
The Office and After Life star revealed he is now hooked on football and watches ‘every game’
Gervais highlighted the Netlfix series ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ in particular as helping to reignite his love of the game.
‘I do – I love it [football] now. I went off it for about 30 years! I wasn’t anti-football, I played at school, and I actually played football until I was about 30,’ said Gervais, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
‘Probably from the age of 30 to 60 I gave up on [playing] – I didn’t have a team. I watched England twice a year whenever they were playing.
‘I was aware of everything, but I got back into it in COVID during lockdown, when they were doing those games with no crowd.
‘I got into it so much and then what really got me back into it was a documentary – Sunderland ‘Til I Die. I loved that show – the fact that it was like a religion to them.
‘The whole community was involved, it was a really well-made documentary, then I saw the struggle of the players, the finances, the manager.
‘Then I watched the Manchester City one, the Leeds one, the [Mikel] Arteta one, and I was hooked. Now I’m fascinated with it, I watch every game that is on TV.’
The initial ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ series, released in 2018, showed the Black Cats attempts to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt.
The documentary received widespread praise as it examined Sunderland fans support of their club, with the club ultimately suffering a second successive relegation to League One.
Gervais revealed the documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die had inspired his new love of football
Ex-Sunderland director Charlie Methven has earned comparisons to David Brent in the series
Gervais’ character David Brent declared ‘I bloody love football’ in a famous clip from the Office
A second series followed in 2020, with a third being released earlier this year to chart the club’s promotion back to the Championship.
Former Sunderland director Charlie Methven had become a surprise star of the second series amid his attempts to revive the struggling club.
Methven, speaking to Mail Sport in 2020, had pushed back at comparisons made between him and Gervais’ famed character David Brent in The Office.
The director had been described as a ‘a gentrified Del Boy, who acts a little like David Brent and has the furious, unashamed ambition of Gordon Gekko’.
‘Del Boy and Gordon Gekko are heroes of the 1980s when I grew up, so that was a huge compliment!’ Methven had told Mail Sport.
‘But David Brent… he definitely wants to be liked, and I don’t think that can be levelled at me.’
Ricky Gervais was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet
