Daniel James has come clean to deny he was a Liverpool fan as a child… but admits he supported Chelsea.

The Manchester United winger idolised Blues’ legends Eden Hazard and Didier Drogba, plus Juan Mata, who has since swapped Chelsea for the Red Devils.

James, 23, told United’s website: “When I signed for United, I can’t remember who it was, one of the Sky Sports (pundits) said: ‘he supports Liverpool’.

“I was thinking I don’t support Liverpool, but I never wanted to come out and say I supported Chelsea as a youngster.

“When I started playing for Swansea it [Chelsea] was the team I followed, but you don’t end up supporting them really.

I used to look at their players when I was younger – Hazard, Mata and Drogba – and they were players that I loved. You kind of grow out of that.”