AppleTV+ series Ted Lasso has been a surprise critic favorite this awards season, having been renewed for a third season before shooting for the second even began. The tale of a Kanas football coach traveling to England to run a premier soccer team was one that was hilariously awe-spiring, with compelling characters and storylines that broadened well beyond that of professional soccer.
A majority of the main cast is made up of men given the all-male soccer team, allowing for several different personality types on screen. Some of the male characters were hopeless romantics at heart like Ted, while others were a little more pessimistic but softened when faced with the prospect of true love.
Rupert Mannion
Rupert repeatedly cheating on his (now) ex-wife Rebecca, sabotaging her business ventures, and then proposing and impregnating a woman of the exact same name doesn’t exactly scream ‘romantic.’
Rupert wasn’t a good husband and he proved when he had his new fiancé Bex buy a stock of the Richmond team that he also wasn’t a good person. Rupert would put all of his interests above your own, and leave you more disappointed and hurt than anything.
Jamie Tartt
Jamie’s relationship with Keeley was mostly just them using one another for sex. He wasn’t a reliable or kind boyfriend, and he even brought Bex to the auction to bid against her, creating jealous-fueled competition.
Jamie had small amounts of character growth throughout the first season, leaving room for him to eventually become a better person. But the Jamie seen so far was self-absorbed and didn’t know how to charm women other than by flaunting the fact that he was a footballer, which could only get him so far.
Trent Crimm
The journalist at The Independent was known for doing a profile on Ted Lasso, initially finding him pathetic but later finding his self-perseverance inspiring.
From the little viewers saw of Trent Crimm, he seemed to be a mostly pessimistic guy whose heart could be warmed by a little bit of hope. Dating Trent would likely be more of the same, as he would have a tough exterior but easily succumb to the idea of love, and would just need to know you believe in him for him to give it his all.
Leslie Higgins
Higgins let Rebecca and viewers down when he was complicit in Richard’s cheating; taking Rebecca out for lunch so that her husband could entertain other women at their house.
However, Higgins later redeemed himself as an assistant and proved to be a wonderful family man when he brought all of his kiddos and his wife to the relegation deciding game of the season. Leslie’s devotion to his family and long-term marriage proved he could maintain lasting relationships and be a romantic person outside of the office.
Dani Rojas
Richmond’s newest and brightest young star, Dani Rojas brought a level of delight and joy to the football team that was otherwise nonexistent.
Dani would be a supportive romantic partner, with his infectious smile and upbeat attitude. Fighting with Dani would be like arguing with a litter of puppies — it just wouldn’t happen. The only drawback to being with Dani would be his staunch belief that “Football is life!” which implies that his priorities are 1) football and 2) you.
Coach Beard
A man of few words and a coach of mostly head nods, Beard was a good friend to Ted and an integral member of the ‘Diamond Dogs.’
Beard’s short-lived relationship with a woman who loved chess almost as much as he did was cute while it lasted, but she quickly became uninterested when all he wanted to discuss was their mutual love of the game. Beard would be a loving and attentive partner, but often get swept up in his areas of passion, blinding him from engaging in an actual balanced relationship.
Nathan Shelley
Nate the Great was a fantastic equipment man and was set up to be an even better assistant coach. Nate had strong opinions and was incredibly intelligent, he was just really afraid most of the time to show it.
He needed to be pushed by Ted to truly express himself, and often let Jamie and his pals step all over him. As a romantic partner, Nathan would probably worship the ground you walked on, and also give you the best advice of your life. He would just need to be given permission to do so first.
Ted Lasso
Ted was by far the most likable character on the show. The Kansas native has a happy-go-lucky attitude and never gives up, no matter how impossible things seem.
Ted’s strained relationship with his wife Michelle led to his only true down moments of the season, revealing his biggest weakness in being able to fix most things, but not his marriage. Ted didn’t do anything wrong to lead to the downfall of their relationship, they simply grew apart, but the distance didn’t help much. At the end of the day, he let Michelle go without putting up much of a fight, proving that maybe he believed there was someone better out there for him after all.
Sam Obisanya
The happiest animal might be a goldfish, but the happiest smile on the Richmond team goes to Sam Obisanya.
Sam’s hearty laugh and unending kindness to his teammates radiated positivity on screen. His flirty quips at Rebecca were nothing short of greatness. Most of his personality traits also indicated that Sam would be a devoted and loving partner.
Roy Kent
Team captain Roy’s tough exterior was hard to crack and even annoying to some at times. However, once he began being coached by Ted Lasso (and reading A Wrinkle in Time) he started to soften and break down his walls.
Roy’s blossoming relationship with Keeley Jones was a highlight of Season 1 and allowed fans to see a different side of the often-agitated aging footballer. Roy pursued Keeley because he truly wanted to, kissed her like he meant it, and learned to cater to her needs and communicate in a healthy way. Roy needed a little love in his life to make him a better man, and he ended up being a really romantic guy.
