Ed Sheeran: The Roost pub landlord reveals his shock at visit by music mega star

It was shaping up to be a regular Sunday night at The Roost pub in Small Heath - the pool table was busy and the juke box was on.

But then a chap with distinctive red hair turned up - and he looked just like Ed Sheeran.

And, would you believe it, this wasn’t a coincidence, it really was the global music star. The pub is a popular haunt of Birmingham City fans, being so near to St Andrews and the regulars couldn’t believe it.

Ed visited The Roost with his Birmingham rapper pal Jaykae and joined a game of pool as he mingled with the crowds and enjoyed a pint and a singalong to No Games by Serani.

Pub manager Ian Connors, 39, a dad-of-two from Small Heath, said:   "It was a bit crazy.

"He is good pals with the Birmingham rapper Jaykae who sometimes comes in here and he called me up and said can I bring someone along.

"We were having a pool tournament last night and we had a DJ on so it was pretty busy and I said of course bring whoever you like.

"All of a sudden, this guy walks in and everybody starts going ‘Is that Ed Sheeran?’ We were thinking ‘surely not’.

"We couldn’t understand what a megastar like him would be doing in a pub in Small Heath.

"But he was brilliant, really laid back and he mingled with customers. He was just a gentleman. Really down-to-earth and was having a good laugh.

"You can see in the footage he was having a brilliant time, he even had a game of pool and then I invited him behind the bar.

"I just asked if he wanted a go and he started pulling a Carling. It was completely surreal.

"He even joked that he wasn’t working for free and I had to pay him.

"He stayed for a while and everybody had a brilliant night having pictures taken with him but to join in a sing-a-long with Ed Sheeran is something I never thought I’d say.

"I’ve spoken to Jaykae to check they were happy with us sharing the videos because they turned up with no security.

"He checked with Ed and they were fine with it, so it shows what type of man he is that he’s happy to give our little pub in Brum some publicity.

"We’re still in a bit of shock to be honest, this is the last place you’d expect him to turn up.

"But he was fantastic with everybody and it was night everyone will certainly remember."

Did Ed Sheeran visit anywhere else in Birmingham on his night out?

Before going for a few pints in Birmingham until last orders, Ed Sheeran enjoyed a curry at Asha's Indian restaurant in the city centre where Tom Cruise visited last summer. General manager Nouman Farooqui, 30, said the singer was the "nicest celebrity" they had ever catered for after preparing him a Butter Chicken Curry.

His visit came as a new survey from Get Licensed has claimed that Birmingham was one of the worst night’s out in the UK. It was placed sixth in the top ten league for worst nights out with Coventry topping the tables.

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