Jerry Jones, the billionaire Texan who owns the Dallas Cowboys, and who has invested 1.2 billion US dollars in the club’s new stadium, insisted to The Daily Telegraph that British soccer fans in clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool should show patience towards American owners and shareholders.

However, Jones said he had never contemplated buying an English Premiership club as his friends have done.

The battle for Old Trafford took a new twist in the last 48 hours as global investment bank Nomura has agreed to advise on a potential acquisition of the club by the Red Knights Group.

Nomura will work closely with the Red Knights, the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust and other potential investors to “coordinate and formulate the proposal to be put to the Glazer family”.

The Nomura team will be led by Guy Dawson and Andrew McNaught, both of whom advised the Board of Manchester United plc when the club was sold to the Glazer family in 2005.

This comes in the wake of more unrest from fans at Manchester United over the Glazer family’s handling of the club.

“No [never intended to buy an English football club]. Not that I want to sound like it is not interesting and good, but I have only one interest, and I wanted it to be the perception of everyone, that all that interests me is the Cowboys. I am very hands on here, I’m even accused of coaching the team at times, but what has happened is that I have invested myself fully in this and I will be in it until I drop.”

“The stadium is a tool, and yes we want world class soccer to come here – the World Cup, the best teams in South America, and the best teams in Europe.”

“But I’m not comfortable being involved, unless I’m there and involved with the grass roots. This is a serious business in terms of all the people that are dependuing on you – especially the fans. And let me say this – I don’t feel like I own the Cowboys. You can own a piece of land, a house or a business. You can’t own the Dallas Cowboys. The fans own Dallas Cowboys. But what you can do, with ownership, is that you can run beyond where you would have gone otherwise. That’s what has transferred itself here.”