Manchester United fan Rory McIlroy has admitted he would “rather be a Liverpool fan at the moment” following the Red Devils’ poor start to the season.

McIlroy, who has never been shy about his love for the Premier League side, appeared on the Late Late Show alongside fellow Irishman and United fan Patrick Kielty.

During a segment where McIlroy and Kielty faced off in a golf challenge, the TV host said: “Maybe we should play for something, maybe as two Man United fans, the loser has to take the loss.”

In Kielty’s hands, much to McIlroy’s chagrin, was a red shirt printed with the famous colours of United’s arch-rivals Liverpool.

The shirt drew mixed reactions from the onlookers, with some mocking it while others praised its appearance.

But a witty McIlroy was quick to poke fun at the situation, replying: “To be fair, I probably prefer being a Liverpool fan at the moment.”

While it was meant as a joke, it was a step back from McIlroy, who had previously hinted that he would become an investor at Old Trafford.

Speaking after Sir Jim Ratcliffe confirmed his minority takeover of the club, McIlroy commented: “I would love to have 0.00001 per cent of Manchester United when Sir Jim Ratcliffe has 25 per cent.

“And if there were other opportunities I would consider them, but that’s not something we can discuss.”

However, if given the chance to invest in United again, it wouldn’t be the first time he has put money into a sporting organisation, having already become a sponsor of the Alpine F1 Team.

Speaking about the project, McIlroy said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity, I’ve always been a big fan of F1.

“There’s quite a Northern Ireland/Ireland connection with Eddie Jordan and Eddie Irvine back in the day. That’s always something I’ve looked at.

“And then when this opportunity came up, I just thought about the popularity of F1, how big it’s become in the States in particular – and I’ve invested in a few things – but this has a lot more of a story and a journey.

The PGA Tour star continued: “It’s no surprise that they’ve gone to market and got some investors but I think it’s obviously stabilised the team and given them confidence going forward.

“F1 has done really well overall. Golf can learn quite a lot from F1 in terms of some of the preparation and how they do things.”