Aston Villa players ‘didn’t know who Prince William was’ before he met his footballing heroes, reveals England star Ezri Konsa, as they head to Europa League final with Royal approval

Ezri Konsa is regarded as one of Aston Villa’s best defenders of modern times, but he is probably the only one to receive the Royal seal of approval.

The Villa centre-back hopes to help deliver the club’s first major trophy since 1996 by defeating Freiburg in the Europa League Final on Wednesday.

But Konsa has an accolade few footballers earn: the Prince of Wales is a fan. Prince William is a huge Villa fan and will be watching closely when Unai Emery’s men take on the Bundesliga club in Istanbul.

‘He called me a Rolls Royce once,’ smiled Konsa. ‘That certainly stuck in my head. I’ll take that. 

‘Ever since I joined (in 2019), he has shown unreal support, coming into the changing room and showing us the utmost respect. 

‘Massive credit to him to come and watch us and support us. Having his support is brilliant, not just for the club but for the players as well. 

Victory against Freiburg would be the first time Villa have lifted the European Cup since 1982

‘Some of the players didn’t know who he was beforehand, as they are from different countries, so for them to learn about him and know who he is, it is big. Hopefully he will be there on Wednesday.

‘It’s weird because on game day, when he comes in, you focus on the game and you’re in the moment, and you don’t realise how big it is that he is coming in to greet everyone and shake his hand. 

‘Sometimes you get caught up in the moment, and you go home and think, ‘Flippin’ heck, I just shook his hand, and he knows my name and everything’. 

Villa’s win over Liverpool last Friday means they are guaranteed a top-five finish in the league and will play in the Champions League next season.

Now they can focus entirely on trying to win a first European trophy since they lifted the European Cup in 1982. 

Should they prevail, it would be Emery’s fifth Europa League title. The Spaniard won the competition three times with Sevilla from 2014-16 and again with Villarreal in 2021.

Konsa added: ‘The first thing he wanted to do was to get Aston Villa back in European football—he did that. 

‘You believe him because of his career and the trophies that he has won, also the teams he has managed and players he has worked with. 

‘You have no choice but to believe in him and put your all into what he is telling us. He knows the competition well and has won it four times. 

‘When you have a manager like Unai, who knows the tournament well, it gives you more confidence 100 per cent.’