Ricky Gervais has revealed how he fell in love with football again after a 30-year hiatus when the comedian joined the Stick to Football podcast.
The comedian appeared 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, and Gervais was asked about the success of The Office.
A famous clip from the series showed Gervais’s character, David Brent, declaring “I love football” while dribbling a ball around the office.
Gervais was asked on the podcast about his love of football, and the 63-year-old admitted that he had recently fallen in love with the game again.
The Office and After Life star revealed how watching football documentaries during Covid lockdowns had drawn him back into the game.
Ricky Gervais has revealed why he fell in love with football again after a 30-year break
The Office and After Life star revealed that he is now hooked on football and watches “every game”
Gervais highlighted the Netflix series ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ in particular as helping to rekindle his love for the game.
‘Yes, I love (football) now. I left it for about 30 years! “I wasn’t against football, I played at school and in fact I played football until I was 30,” Gervais said, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, hosted by sky bet.
‘Probably between the ages of 30 and 60 I stopped playing, I didn’t have a team. I watched England twice a year when they played.
“I was aware of everything, but I got involved in COVID again during the lockdown, when they were doing those games without fans.
“I got really into it 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 entire community was involved, it was a very well made documentary, then I saw the struggle of the players, the finances, the coach.
“Then I saw the one about Manchester City, the one about Leeds, the one about (Mikel) Arteta, and I was hooked. Now I am fascinated, I watch all the games that are broadcast on television.”
The initial ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ series, released in 2018, showcased the Black Cats’ attempts to return to the top flight at the first attempt.
The documentary received high praise for examining Sunderland fans’ support for their club, with the club eventually suffering a second successive relegation to League One.
Gervais revealed that the Sunderland ‘Til I Die documentary had inspired his new love of football
The comedian admitted that he “loved the show” which highlighted the team’s struggles.
Former Sunderland manager Charlie Methven has earned comparisons to David Brent in the series.
Gervais’ character David Brent declared “I love football” in a famous clip from The Office
A second series followed in 2020, and a third was launched earlier this year to chart the club’s promotion back to the Championship.
Former Sunderland manager Charlie Methven had become a surprise second season star amid his attempts to revive the struggling club.
Methven, speaking to Mail Sport in 2020, had rejected comparisons made between him and Gervais’ famous character David Brent in The Office.
The director had been described as “a gentrified Del Boy, who acts a bit like David Brent and has the furious, brash ambition of Gordon Gekko.”
“Del Boy and Gordon Gekko are heroes from 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 attributed to me.”
Ricky Gervais spoke on the Stick to Football podcast, presented by sky bet