'I'm an ex-Wolves and Brighton star but quit football to become an Ed Sheeran tribute act'

A former and Brighton star quit football and is now pursuing a career as an Ed Sheeran tribute act.

Daniel East broke through the ranks at Wolves but failed to land a senior appearance for the West Midlands outfit.

East went on to join Brighton where he again struggled for minutes, before trying his hand with non-League outfits Stalybridge Celtic and Enfield Town.

The writing was on the wall for East though, whose endeavours in the game would be cut short in 2014 when he hung up his gloves aged just 21 years old.

Instead of dwelling on his failed career, the former shot-stopper, who was a keen guitar player, found a new calling in music.

Putting on the odd pub performance down the local, East quickly started landing requests to play weddings and christenings.

But it wasn't until East was asked to put on a Sheeran tribute set that the former footballer discovered he had quite the knack of impersonating the Suffolk-born singer-songwriter.

On his unusual talent, East told Express and Star in 2020: "I have had to study [Sheeran] performing to get everything as close as possible and at one point I was watching his videos on YouTube for four or five hours a day.

"Now I am in a fortunate position where I can perform a mixture of styles and if someone books me, it is a question of what they want.

"I do a lot of events as Ed Sheeran, such as festivals, tribute nights or three-course meals, and perform as myself at weddings, christenings and funerals."

He continued: "I do feel I can be as good as some of the really top singers.

"I don't think I will ever be able to write songs like Gary Barlow does, but in terms of his voice, the whole package, people like Michael Buble and Alfie Boe, that is what I have to aspire to.

"I don't want that to sound arrogant, but I don't see any problem in aiming as high as you can, and I know I would never have been able to say that a few years ago.

"It is so different to the football - ask me then and I'd probably have said there is no way I would ever be good enough.

"But I feel that I am now where I am meant to be, I have something to really believe in and push for, and I have the confidence to back that up."