Ed Balls: Norwich City name ex-shadow chancellor as chairman

Ed Balls was a Labour MP from 2005 to 2015

Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls has been named as the new chairman of Norwich City.

The 48-year-old Canaries fan, who lost his seat as a Labour MP in May's election, will be at Norwich's home game against Aston Villa on Monday.

"From the moment my dad first took me to watch from the terraces at Carrow Road in 1973, my earliest ambition was to play for the club," Balls said.

"The next best thing is to become chairman."

Balls' role at Carrow Road will be unpaid. He replaces former chairman Alan Bowkett, who stepped down last month.

The club's majority shareholders Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones said Balls' "vast economic knowledge and extensive experience with both the public and private sectors" would be a huge asset.

"His economic know-how and experience, coupled with his passion for all things Norwich City, will be a major asset," they said.

"Ed will work closely with all of us on the short-, medium- and long-term strategy to shape the future of this great football club."

Balls served as MP for Normanton in West Yorkshire from 2005-2010 and Morley and Outwood from 2010-2015. He was a cabinet minister under Gordon Brown.

Ed Balls made the news in September 2014 when he left an opponent with a bloodied eye during a charity match