Michael Sheen has opened up about his break-up with Kate Beckinsale and revealed his aspirations to become an Arsenal football player.

The 46-year-old Welsh actor talked about his career, including upcoming appearances in Celebrity Bake-Off for Comic Relief, and family life in an interview for The Sunday Times Magazine.

Michael, who currently lives in Los Angeles to be near his teenage daughter Lily, described his relationship with Kate as “incredibly important”.

Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale (David Crotty/AP)

“We both looked after each other and helped each other find out who we were,” he added.

“Once we found out who we were, we realised we probably weren’t right for each other.”

He also spoke about his childhood aspiration to become a footballer after having a trial with Arsenal when he was 12.

Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen (Ian West/PA)

“I wanted to be a footballer, then at a time when I thought I might not be good enough I threw myself into acting,” he added.

“So, acting became something that was a great guide through life.”

Michael’s next roles will be in Kill The Messenger, based on the true story of a journalist who exposed the CIA’s role in importing cocaine into America in the 1990s, and Thomas Hardy’s Far From The Madding Crowd, as one of Bathsheba Everdene’s suitors William Boldwood.