By Paul Brown

Pauline McLynn joked that Tom Hanks is constantly calling her up wanting to talk tactics.

Father Ted and Shameless star McLynn - at Villa Park this weekend to watch her favourite team beat Chelsea - said she was shocked when Hanks announced his claret and blue allegiences to the world.

She told AVTV: "Tom outing himself as a Villa fan was an absolutely iconic moment. I saw it and thought 'look at Hanksy jumping on mine and Nigel Kennedy's bandwagon.'

"He's always on the phone wanting to talk tactics to me. I always tell him to ring Martin. I tell him 'don't ring me, I'm not the gaffer yet.'

"Joking aside, it's so exciting to have a superstar in our ranks. He chose Villa - I'm not surprised though - who could blame him?

"Let's be honest, in the fashion stakes these colours of claret and blue are not easy to wear.

"But he can wear any colour and get away with it - especially when you look at some of those haircuts he's had in his films over the years."