YOU might imagine that given the scale of his latest tour, Ed Sheeran may have chosen to bolster his live show with some additional musicians.

But no, last night in Cardiff he took to the stage in front of a sea of adoring fans armed only with his trusty acoustic guitar and faithful 'loopstation'.

Providing his own backing track via a series of percussive thumps and taps, Sheeran wowed the crowd with a range of songs from across his career, demonstrating just how many instantly recognisable smash-hits he has produced since his 2011 debut album +

Whether it was winding the crowd into a frenzy, thrashing away at his guitar during the crescendo of the pulsing Bloodstream, or serenading a sea of glowing mobile phone lights with ballad Perfect, Sheeran commanded the stage with acharismatic energy from the second he bounded onto the stage to his eventual exit.

With the crowd already in the palm of his hand, Sheeran then returned to the stage wearing a Welsh football shirt to close the evening with The Shape of You and an especially rousing You Need Me, I Don't Need You.

The crowd went wild.