Why Adrian Chiles attended Liam Payne's funeral in a football coat

Adrian Chiles honoured Liam Payne with a touching gesture by wearing a West Bromwich Albion coat to the singer's funeral. Friends and family of Payne, including his former One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik, gathered on Wednesday morning to bid farewell to the 31 year old who tragically died after falling from a balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16.

Notable figures from the football community, such as Robbie Keane, also attended, alongside Chiles, a former Match of the Day 2 host and current BBC Radio 5 live presenter. While most mourners opted for traditional black attire, Chiles, a dedicated Baggies supporter, chose to wear a West Brom long-coat in tribute to Payne's love for the club.

Chiles shared on BBC Radio 5 live how their mutual support for the West Midlands club brought him and Payne together: "I got to know him when he first did X Factor," Chiles recalled. "He came up to me and said 'up the Albion' - he was a West Brom fan. Just as a sign as to how massive he was, I remember we snuck him into a Boxing Day game and I think his mum and dad came and sat with me.

"We managed to secrete our man up in the commentary gantry so he didn't get bothered. Then a friend of mine texted me to ask 'why are West Brom trending number one on Twitter? ' I went, 'well it could be because Liam Payne is here and he tweeted he was here and the whole world went mad for it.'".

West Bromwich Albion paid tribute following his tragic passing: "We're shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Baggies fan and musician, Liam Payne," the club said alongside a photo of Payne at their stadium. "Our thoughts are with Liam's family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time."