£5m gift from football club owner breaks portrait gallery record

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The ground-floor rooms are being renamed the Lerner Galleries in recognition of billionaire Randy Lerner's donation.

Ohio-born Mr Lerner, 45, became the second US owner of a Premier League club in 2006 when Villa's board approved a £62.6 million takeover.

Mr Lerner has supported the National Portrait Gallery since 2002, when Sandy Nairne became its director. The Lerner Foundation was set up by the family of Alfred Lerner, the Villa owner's father, who died in 2002.

The gift will be made over three years and help to build up the gallery's Portrait Fund, for the acquisition of portraits for the collection.

Mr Lerner said: "On behalf of my mother and my sister it is an enormous privilege to express our support for the National Portrait Gallery financially.

"We are enthusiastic supporters of the gallery's director and the board for their inspired and creative management of the gallery's collection and acquisition programme."

Mr Nairne said: "I am delighted that the Lerner family is expressing such confidence in the future of the National Portrait Gallery."