Andy Burnham watches first match at Everton as Prime Minister
The Prime Minister was joined by his wife Marie-France van Heel and former Everton player Peter Reid at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday,
Andy Burnham has attended his first Everton match as Prime Minister, watching the club face Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Listen to this article
Mr Burnham, a lifelong supporter of the Blues, was joined by his wife Marie-France van Heel at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester was in the stands as Everton played their first Premier League match of the season.
They were also joined by former Everton player Peter Reid, who was among the crowd outside Downing Street when Mr Burnham became Prime Minister last month.
The visit comes after Mr Burnham reaffirmed his ambitions of seeing the UK host another World Cup, while speaking to regional mayors on Friday.
Read more: Manchester United make disastrous start to Premier League season with defeat to newly-promoted Hull
A source said he has a “general ambition” to bring more major sporting tournaments to the UK and would support the Football Association with any future World Cup bids.
The hosts for the 2034 World Cup have already been confirmed, but Mr Burnham described it as “insane” in July that the UK has not hosted the tournament for almost 60 years, since the 1966 World Cup.
It is not the first time the Prime Minister has backed a bid to bring the World Cup back to the UK.
While serving as culture, media and sport secretary, he was involved in England’s unsuccessful bid to host the 2018 World Cup, which was ultimately awarded to Russia.
The UK has had greater success with bids to host the European Championships in recent years, with the country having hosted matches at the men’s tournament twice.
The 2028 European Championship will also be played across the UK and Ireland.
The UK is also set to host the women’s World Cup in 2035, having previously staged the women’s European Championships in 2005 and 2022.
England’s Lionesses won the 2022 tournament on home soil, claiming the European Championship for the first time.
A Government spokesperson said: “The UK is committed to delivering world-class major sporting events with pride, with the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grands Departs 2027 and Uefa Euro 2028 secured, and active bids for the 2029 World Athletics Championships and 2035 women’s World Cup.
“As the Prime Minister has made clear, we will continue to pursue sporting events that bring communities together, drive regional growth and create jobs across the country.”