Noel Gallagher jokes his heart is 'full of pride' after son flips off United fans at Old Trafford

Noel Gallagher has quipped that his “heart is full of pride” after his 15-year-old son Sonny was photographed giving Manchester United fans the middle finger during Manchester City’s controversial 1-0 derby victory at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Gallagher attended the match with both his sons — Donovan, 18, and Sonny, 15 — and was seen celebrating in the away end as the image of Sonny’s gesture went viral on social media.

Speaking to talkSport, the Oasis frontman was unapologetic and characteristically dry about the moment. “There comes a point in your time as a father where you look at your children and you think, ‘My god, I brought you up well’ — when they feel it as much as you do and when they get it,” he said. “Let’s not forget, when you’re in that away end and the United fans are in front of you, they’re giving it to you as much as you’re giving it to them. But he made the newspapers today and my heart is full of pride for my sons who got stuck into it.”

Gallagher also revealed he had been reluctant to make the trip to Old Trafford at all, but relented for his sons’ sake. “Ordinarily I wouldn’t go. I don’t like going to Old Trafford because it can get a bit spicy getting in and out, but they were so keen to go because they’d never been, so I went for them really.”

The match itself was overshadowed by a significant officiating controversy. Erling Haaland’s winning goal was initially ruled out for offside before being awarded following a VAR review. It was subsequently determined the goal should not have stood, as Enzo Fernandez had attempted to play the ball while in an offside position. Professional Referees Organisation body Pro Ref later issued a public apology to Manchester United over the error.

Despite the furore surrounding the result, Gallagher showed little sympathy for the hosts, describing the day as “great, great” regardless of the circumstances.