BLACKBURN Rovers may have a new fan after American R&B singer Akon was presented with a shirt by the club’s owners.

He joined former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in launching a new venture from Indian poultry giant Venky’s into the fast food industry.

The company, which took control of Rovers last month, is expanding and set to move into 25 countries.

The presentation was made days before Venky’s sacked Sam Allardyce.

Akon, responsible for hits including Lonely and the new Michael Jackson track Hold My Hand, was also in India to attend Rovers joint owner Balaji Rao’s birthday party.

As well as the takeaways, which will at first be limited to India, the company is aiming to move into South-East Asia, the Middle East and Latin America with its feed, health and hygiene services.

VH group vice chairman and joint managing director, Venkatesh Rao, said: “We don’t want to be just another global supplier.

“We are building a data centre in Pune, India, and we will have seven global plants in the next two years and regional offices across the globe.”

On the takeaways, he said they had hired chefs from Europe and South-East Asia for easy-to-cook products.

“With the growth of international fast food chains like KFC, we will be able to use our capacities fully.”

Akon is not the first American urban act with a link to Rovers: the Lancashire Telegraph reported in 2006 how rapper The Game wore a Rovers away shirt on his European tour.