Asda worker constantly mobbed wherever he goes for looking like Ed Sheeran

'It freaked me out when I saw how similar we looked'

The 25-year-old says he is regularly approached by crazed admirers in the street (Mercury Press & Media)

A supermarket worker says he gets mobbed by adoring fans wherever he goes because of his uncanny resemblance to pop star Ed Sheeran.

Wesley Byrne 25, from Shaw, Greater Manchester, reveals that he is regularly stopped for selfies and autographs and once had to show his passport to a drunken fan after they demanded he start singing.

The red-headed shelf stacker, who works at his local branch of Asda, also claims that he is often approached by crazed admirers in the street, much to the frustration of 28-year-old girlfriend Leah Howard-Smith.

“I've developed a bit of a sense of when it's going to happen - it happens all the time when I'm out and about,” Byrne said.

“Being stopped in the street and asked for pictures and autographs has started to happen more and more since he's got bigger, especially if I'm out in Manchester.

“A random guy on a night a few years back didn't believe I wasn't him. He spent a good 15 minutes convinced I was him and wasn't having any of it when I said I wasn't.

“He even wanted me to start singing. I said to him 'I don't know who you think I am but I can't do that. My mates just stood there laughing.

“I Googled him when I got home and it freaked me out a little bit when I saw how similar we looked.”

Byrne says people stop him in the street for pictures and autographs (Mercury Press & Media)

Since then, Byrne says he struggles to go anywhere without being mistaken for the Grammy-nominated star, even when he’s at work.

Despite being dressed in an Asda uniform, he says people stop him even more often shouting, “Oi Sheeran, sing us a song.”

Byrne admits that he doesn’t want to disappoint people by revealing he’s not the real deal and often makes up an excuse for not giving out autographs.

“Comic Con in Manchester last year was crazy,” he said.

“I normally spend a lot of money on a costume but that year I just wore regular clothes and I was mobbed by people thinking I was him. I kept tally - I was stopped by 52 people. It was just fun.”

Unfortunately, Wesley's looks are where the similarity to Sheeran end as the shop worker reveals he isn't much of a singer.

“My singing voice is terrible but I'm teaching myself how to play the guitar. I've not made much progress but I've managed to pretty much learn 'Shape Of You',” he explained.

While Wesley still works at his local Asda store, he says he hasn't completely ruled out the possibility of being an Ed Sheeran impersonator.

“If I could make a career out of being an Ed Sheeran look-a-like I definitely would,” he added.

“I'm just trying to keep my hair. There's a history of men in our family going bald so I just need to cling onto my ginger locks.”