Manchester United flag flown in SPACE after NASA astronaut given banner by Russian fan

The flag was presented to astronaut Steve Swanson who flew the banner around the universe as their craft orbited around planet Earth

Sitting pretty: The United flag was welcomed to the international space station

Manchester United are top of the league – and on top of the world thanks to one Russian Red Devil.

Alexey Yakovlev sent his beloved flag of the Old Trafford club into space thanks to friends on the International Space Station.

Yakovlev, who lives in the Chkalovsky region of Moscow, passed the flag on to NASA astronaut Steve Swanson who flew the red, white and black banner while the craft orbited the Earth.

Speaking to Red News fanzine, Yakovlev said: “I decided to send the MUFC flag to bring some space energy to the club.

“I am very proud of what I did because United means a lot to me. We’ve waved our flag up in space – nobody can make it any higher!”.

Flying high: United sit on top of the table and on top of the world

A special certificate of authenticity was sent to Yakovlev to confirm the flag was flown on ISS expeditions 39 and 40 aboard the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft.

The crew, who landed in September 2014, flew in space for 169 days and orbited the Earth a total of 2,704 times .

Yakovlev now intends to present the flag to club officials when United visit Moscow to take on Russian rivals CSKA in their next Champions League group game on Wednesday 21 October.

United fans always did think their club was out of this world.