Why are celebrities buying stakes in football clubs?

When KSI announced he had purchased a 20% stake in Dagenham & Redbridge earlier this week, he became the latest in an increasingly long line of celebrities taking a financial interest in lower-league football clubs.

Last month American rapper and Swansea City shareholder Snoop Dogg was well-received by fans at their Championship match against Preston while former NFL quarterback Tom Brady is part-owner of Birmingham City and Wrexham's attention-grabbing rise up the divisions under actor-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney could lead to promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season.

Now KSI, a YouTuber, streamer and musician who has gone from uploading video game streams in his childhood bedroom to running a business empire including a drinks brand, production company and boxing promotion firm, is dreaming of taking the Daggers to the top flight too.

"The idea of it just excites me so much," the 32-year-old said when announcing the move in a video which has earned tens of millions of views online.

"I want the place to be pumping. I want it to be an event when people come here. I want do the unthinkable and get to the Premier League.

"Everyone here is hard-working and I want to be the man who affects things on the pitch as well as off the pitch."

A celebrity has now purchased shares in English clubs at a rate of one per year since 2020, excluding 2021.

So why exactly are celebrities buying stakes in English football clubs, what is in it for the teams and what do the fans think?