Jameson Irish Whiskey asks Adebayo Akinfenwa to assist brand's first footballer signing with awkward initiation song

It was a quiet January transfer window by usual standards but that didn’t stop Jameson Irish Whiskey from signing Newport County centre back and brand namesake, Kyle Jameson.

The League Two player has signed a sponsorship deal with the Pernod Ricard owned brand for the rest of the 23/24 season.

Kyle Jameson says: “I couldn’t be happier to sign for this iconic ‘club’ with so much history, what an opportunity! Now it’s time to kick on and start delivering the goods for all those Jameson fans out there.”

The deal is part of Jameson’s ongoing committment to supporting football at all levels, from its four-year partnership with the EFL to collaborations with some of the biggest curators of the UK football culture scene. The agreement with Kyle will see the iconic Irish whiskey brand become the official sponsor of his home, away and third kits, with Newport County also showing extensive Jameson branding throughout the stadium as part of the EFL partnership.

His announcement involved the most classic of player initiations, an awkward solo singing performance.

But Kyle was assisted by former striker and EFL legend Adebayo Akinfenwa, who made sure you ‘could hear it in the back’ as the new signing performs a heartfelt rendition of ‘There’s Only One Kyle Jameson’ for the award-winning whiskey’s social media announcement.

Adebayo Akinfenwa adds: “Good footballer, ain’t the best singer lol. It’s good to see that all footballers can get this chance, not just the heavy hitters like myself.”

For Jameson, it’s another route to supporting the grassroots game as part of an ongoing strategy.

Josh McCarthy, Jameson UK brand director said; “Football and whiskey are all about telling stories and we have loads of great things to tell from the 72 EFL clubs. This Kyle Jameson and Jameson partnership just reinforces this and shows that football stories don’t always have to come from global superstars. We look forward to sharing all the work we have planned with Kyle in 2024."