Premier League star's son announces he's running for Reform UK and jokes are flying in
Celtic legend Stiliyan Petrov's has announced he is standing for election for Reform UK and it's gone down as well as you'd expect among fans of a club founded to help poverty-stricken immigrants
The son of Bulgarian footie ace Stiliyan Petrov is to stand for election for anti-immigration party Reform UK. Stiliyan Jnr was announced as the right wing party's candidate for Lapworth & West Kenilworth in a social media video.
But the would-be politician – whose dad, affectionately known as Stan, is a legend at Celtic and Aston Villa – was mocked on social media for seeming to present himself as humble apprentice despite a wealthy childhood.
In a video, which saw him doing kick ups in the gardens of a huge property and working as an electrician, he said: "I decided to stand for election because I think its time the working class people and the youth of this country have a voice.
"We all start somewhere. When I started my electrical apprenticeship I didn't have any idea what I was doing.
"I couldn't tell you even how to wire up a light. As time goes on your getting that experience. It isn't going to be an easy journey. It will be hard.
"I'm not looking to be a career politician. I'm looking to help the people of this area and hopefully the country one day and just create real change in this country."
Twitter users were stunned by the announcement, with one proclaiming: "Very comfortably my biggest WHAT THE F*** moment of 2025, so far. Bloody hell. Some laugh trying to portray himself as a simple tradesman as well."
Another quipped: "Calling yourself working class in a video of you kicking a ball about in your professional footballer dad's massive garden is so so funny."
A third said: "Nothing says 'voice of the people' like the Nepo baby of a multimillionaire footballer."
A fourth added: "Talks about the working class whilst his da earned thousands a week playing football when he was a kid. Thinks we’re f****** stupid."
Another asked: "Is it working class for your dad to have been the captain of a premier league team now is it?"
In its manifesto for the 2024 general election, Reform UK pledged to freeze 'non-essential' immigration and ban foreign students from bringing partners and children to the UK.
Stiliyan was born in Glasgow during his dad's time at Celtic, a club proud of its immigrant roots after being formed by a Catholic priest to help alleviate poverty among Irish immigrants in the city's east end during the 1880s.
One Hoops fan wrote: "Gonna miss Stan's punditry when his son gets elected and deports him."
Another said: "This will break my heart if Stan has approved this. My favourite ever Celtic player out with the king [Henrik Laarson]."
Petrov Jnr shared the clip to his Facebook page, where he also shared a photo of him shaking hands with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
One fuming Hoops fan wrote: "Never associate yourself with Celtic again."
His dad, Stiliyan Snr, was born in Bulgaria and is considered a Celtic legend, playing 228 times for the Hoops and scoring 64 times.
He joined the Glasgow giants from CSKA Sofia in 1999, and won ten trophies in his time at Celtic Park, including four Scottish Premier League titles. In 2006, he moved to Aston Villa in the Premier League, along with former manager Martin O'Neill.
In early 2012, Petrov Snr was diagnosed with acute leukaemia, which forced him to undergo treatment, including 13 months of intense chemotherapy.
Ahead of Celtic's Champions League clash with Villa earlier this year, Petrov Snr told the Celtic website: "One of my sons, Stiliyan, who was born in Glasgow, is a Celtic fan. He’s been singing all night last night."
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