Bukayo Saka on GQ cover

Arsenal footballer Bukayo Saka has confessed to being a huge Ed Sheeran fan – so much so that he wants the singer to perform at his future wedding. 

Saka, who also plays for the England squad, has opened up about his love for music with much of his playlist filled with grime, rap, drill and Afrobeats.

However, a certain pop star has slipped through the net with Saka listing Shape Of You hitmaker Sheeran as one of the artists he listens to the most.

The revelation was much to the amusement and shock of his brother Yomi, who confidently stated: ‘You don’t bang Ed Sheeran.’

Sticking with his music taste, Saka insisted: ‘Bro, I showed you, he’s in my top five artists on Spotify Wrapped!’

Yomi demanded proof during the hilarious exchange in Saka’s GQ Magazine interview, and replied: ‘I don’t believe you. When?’

Bukayo Saka on GQ cover
Saka appears on one of four covers for the magazine’s spring/summer edition (Picture: Adama Jalloh/GQ/PA)

Ed Sheeran performing
Sheeran may need to clear his calendar for Saka’s future wedding (Picture: PA)

Saka then confessed: ‘Bruv, I’m not going to play Ed Sheeran when you’re in the car! When I’m in the car with my girl, we listen to Ed Sheeran.’

Laughing off the idea of grime legends Giggs and D Double E performing at his wedding, Saka said: ‘Oh my gosh! That one is not [for a] wedding, oh. I’m calling Ed Sheeran – I’ll pay him whatever!’

The 20-year-old is believed to be dating Tolami Benson but has kept his relationship away from the spotlight.

Bukayo Saka in GQ


Saka is ‘fearless’ in faith – and fierce in photo shoots (Picture: Adama Jalloh/GQ/PA)

Elsewhere in the interview, Saka – who was born in Ealing to Nigerian parents – explained how he finds his ‘fearlessness’ through his faith.

‘Throughout life, you keep exercising your faith, so when you get into different challenges you decide, “this time I’m going to trust God”, and God comes through for you,’ he said.

‘That’s how it kept building and building for me, so I can be confident and go into places knowing that God’s got me. That’s why a lot of times I can be fearless.’ The winger appears on the first of four covers to be released this week, with Saka’s edition also marking the inaugural issue of the spring/summer magazine for Adam Baidawi, British GQ’s newly announced head of editorial content.