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Hugh Jackman has confirmed he is in discussions to acquire a stake in EFL Championship club Norwich City, potentially making him the newest Hollywood celebrity to invest in the division.
Jackman, a longtime friend of Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds, has never concealed his love for Norwich and was first approached as a possible investor back in 2010, an offer he turned down. He would later call that decision a "big mistake."
Sixteen years on, Jackman is once again in negotiations over a potential investment in the Canaries.
"I'm very, very interested, and talking about it right now," Jackman told talkSPORT. "There's a little exclusive.
"Good on Ryan, you do your thing, I'm all about the Canaries."
Why Does Hugh Jackman Support Norwich?
Jackman was born and raised in Australia but has a personal tie to English soccer through his parents, who were originally from England before emigrating to Australia.
His mother hails from Norwich in south-east England, and that was enough to persuade a seven-year-old Jackman to pledge his allegiance to the club.
"When I was in Australia, growing up, I had English parents who emigrated to Australia," he explained. "We used to watch the FA Cup. It was the only thing we were allowed to stay up for, three o'clock in the morning. We had to go to bed first, and we were woken up to watch it.
"So I was seeing all these teams, Arsenal and all these teams, and I was like, 'I've got to pick a team.'
"I said, 'Dad, where are you from?' He said, 'London.' I said, 'So I'll go for London?'
"He goes, 'No, there's a bunch of teams in London.' I said, 'Mum, where are you from?' She went, 'Norwich.'
"I went, 'Is there a football team in Norwich?' She went, 'Yep.' I said, 'That's my team.'
"So it's been slim pickings since then. We did win the Milk Cup in 1984. It's not even called the Milk Cup anymore, but we're on the rise.
"We're on the up and up. I went to Carrow Road a couple of times, and I love the Canaries, and this is the year we're going to get promoted. That's my prediction.
"My prediction is Norwich and Wrexham are getting promoted [to the Premier League] this year."
Everything to Know About Norwich City
Founded in 1902, Norwich have built a strong legacy in English football and are far more established in the upper echelons of the game than Wrexham were when Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their celebrated takeover of the club in 2021.
Norwich were part of the Premier League's inaugural season in 1992–93 and have spent the years since alternating between the top flight and the second tier, once called the First Division but now known as the Championship. They did drop to the third tier, League One, during the 2009–10 season, but finished top of the table to earn an immediate return.
Nicknamed 'The Canaries' owing to a regional tradition of breeding the birds, Norwich were in the Premier League as recently as 2021–22 with a well-liked squad that included former Minnesota United striker Teemu Pukki and USMNT forward Josh Sargent, who departed Norwich only in February of this year to join Toronto FC.
Sargent moved to Toronto for a fee of approximately $22 million, making him one of the priciest acquisitions in Major League Soccer history.
Norwich, who play their home matches at Carrow Road, have claimed the English second-tier title five times and also boast two League Cup victories — now known as the Carabao Cup — to their credit.