Rik Mayall's World Cup song 'Noble England' enters UK top ten

The late comedian's 2010 anthem has been brought back from obscurity

Late comedian Rik Mayall's 'Noble England' failed to chart in 2010 but has reached number seven during the 2014 World Cup (Getty Images)

Rik Mayall’s ‘lost’ World Cup song “Noble England” has entered the UK top 10 in the wake of his death aged 56 last Monday.

The British comedian reached number seven in the chart after a campaign was launched to bring the 2010 song back from obscurity.

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Mayall, known for The Young Ones and Bottom, died after suffering “an acute cardiac event” following a run, his wife revealed.

“Noble England” sees Mayall adapt the famous speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V. “Once more unto the pitch, dear friends, once more,” he reads.

Mayall dressed as the monarch for the video, in which he inspires the footballers to “win for St George” before disappearing through a glowing archway with an English flag draped over his shoulders.

The actor said at the time that chants are “one of the great traditions of following football”.

“I’m doing my bit, just like every other Englishman, as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder, doing out bit, stiff upper lip – apart from when you’re screaming out the lyrics to ‘Noble England’,” he continued.

Elsewhere in the charts, former X Factor contestant Ella Henderson debuted at number one with her first single “Ghost”, while Kasabian also hit the top spot with their fifth album 48:13.

Jennifer Lopez, Claudie Leitte and Pitbull’s World Cup song “We Are One (Ole Ola)” entered at number 29 following the opening ceremony last Thursday and the 1996 anthem, “Three Lions” made an appearance yet again at number 27.