sir Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who took office last week, visited the White House on Wednesday, where he gave President Joe Biden a unique gift: a personalized Arsenal football shirt. The shirt had Biden’s surname and the number “46” printed on the back, a tribute to the fact that Biden is the 46th president of the United States.
Starmer has been a long-time fan of the North London football team. A season ticket holder, he was photographed several times at games. Interestingly, this is not the first time Starmer has gifted an Arsenal shirt to a fellow politician. He also gave a personalized shirt to French President Emmanuel Macron when they met in September 2023.
In an emailed statement shared with TIME, the Downing Street press office said of Starmer’s gift to Biden: “Obviously, as you well know, the Prime Minister is a long-standing Arsenal fan and season ticket holder. It’s his team and he thought it would be a personal gift for the president.”
Starmer visited the White House as part of NATO’s 75th anniversary summit, where he was there to represent Britain on the world stage on issues of international diplomacy and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. While there, he also presented President Biden with a copy of the Atlantic Charter, an agreement that helped pave the way for NATO, which included amendments from then-Labor Party leader Clement Attlee.
During his visit, Starmer said the UK’s “special relationship with the US is very important” and “stronger now than ever”, in BBC footage of the event. He also emphasized your support for Ukraine in the midst of its ongoing war with Russia.
At one point, the pair commented on the success of the English football team in the EURO 2024 tournament, as the team reached the final on Wednesday night after beating the Netherlands 2-1 in one game. Biden joked that England’s success was “all because of the Prime Minister”, Starmer replied that the England team had “has not lost a game under the Labor government in 2024.” A reporter later asked Starmer if England would win the tournament, to which the Prime Minister replied “it looks like it”.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
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