Tom Hanks cheers on Aston Villa as they look to lock down Champions League place against Liverpool... but why does the A-Lister support the English soccer team?

Hollywood star Tom Hanks is in Birmingham for the final home match of the season at Villa Park to watch his beloved Aston Villa square off against Liverpool.

In a video taken before the game, Hanks said he was looking forward to the match as he 'celebrated the penultimate match' of the season.

It was an exciting match at the start, with Villa keeper Emi Martinez spilling the ball into his own net to put Liverpool up 1-0.

But a response from Youri Tielemans drew the game level and brought Hanks out of his seat - with cameras catching him applauding the effort.

Hanks has been a longtime fan of Aston Villa, as he explained back in 2019 on an episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden - with the British comedian puzzled why the A-Lister would support what he called an 'obscure team'.

'I don't think Aston Villa is an obscure team whatsoever, the claret and the blue,' Hanks said back to him. 'But here's what happened. The very first time I came to the UK, I was a young man and I experienced jet lag.

'So I sprung out of bed on my first morning in London, threw the drapes open and looked out. It was June. What a beautiful day in London! Where is everybody? There was not a soul in the park, on the street. I realised then that it was ten minutes after five in the morning because the sun was getting up.

'There was nothing to do except turn on the BBC and catch the football scores. I didn't understand where any of these towns were. These clubs who were... Swansea 6, Stoke City 0; Blackfoot 5 Tottenham on Twixby 3... I didn't know where any of these teams were. Then one came on and said 'Aston Villa 2....'

'And I thought 'Aston Villa', what a lovely vacation spot! Aston Villa... Its beautiful villa, you throw open the French doors, there's the beautiful port of Aston down below you.

'And it turns out it's in Birmingham. There's nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with Birmingham. But it's not a town for light-hearted, I tell you that. So I'm a dedicated Aston Villa fan since then. I've seen them play once, a friendly in the USA, so yes, I support them.'