One Direction star Louis Tomlinson has announced a deal to buy English League One side Doncaster Rovers – the club he has supported since childhood.

Tomlinson – who is taking over the football club alongside former chairman John Ryan – has immediately launched a £2m ($3.4m, €2.5m) crowdfunding campaign to attract the cash needed for a double promotion push towards Premier League status. The pop star hit headlines earlier today (23 June) by announcing he would offer fans the chance of a ‘selfie’ with himself for £250 ($425m, €313m) as part of the campaign.

"For me, this is all about the football, the community and restoring the excitement and desire to making Doncaster Rovers the most exciting club to play for in Yorkshire," said the One Directioner, who drew crowds when he played for the club's reserve side against Barnsley this year.

"I want to see the Doncaster Rovers supporters get the club the success it deserves. I grew up in Doncaster and have felt the love for football run through the town, it's for that reason that I have a real personal passion to make Doncaster Rovers a success story."

Tomlinson, 22, was estimated to be worth £14m ($24m, €17.5m) in the recent under-30s Sunday Times music rich list, and becomes the latest in a distinguished list of pop stars to have become involved with football clubs.

Elton John famously became chairman and director of Watford in 1976 and presided over the most successful era in the club's history. Meanwhile, ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson was close friends with former Fulham owner Mohamed Al-Fayed and toured the Craven Cottage pitch at half-time during a match, leading to a statue of the star to be erected outside the ground following his death in 2009. The statue was subsequently moved to the National Football Museum in Manchester, UK.