Prince William has been offering words of encouragement in the dressing room to his beloved Aston Villa players ahead of their Europa League final in Istanbul.
Villa are aiming to end a 30-year wait for a major trophy at Besiktas Park on Wednesday night, and will hope their tag as favourites – along with the backing of one of the world’s most recognisable figures in the stands – helps carry them over the line.
Looking smart in a suit jacket and blue shirt, William wore a nervous look on his face as he headed down the tunnel an hour before kick-off to speak to the players.
In the lead-up to the game against German side Freiburg, defender Ezri Konsa said that William referring to him as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ counted as the greatest compliment of his career, and that the team were grateful for his support.
‘It’s weird because on game day when he comes in you’re focused on the game a lot, so sometimes you’re in the moment and you don’t realise how big it is that you have got him coming in to greet everyone, shaking everyone’s hand,’ said Konsa, a regular for Villa and England.
‘You go home and think: “Flipping hell, I just shook his hand, he knows my name”. It’s massive and to have his support is brilliant for the club and the players.
Looking smart in a suit jacket and blue shirt, William wore a nervous look on his face as he headed down the tunnel an hour before kick-off to speak to the players
Villa are aiming to end a 30-year wait for a European trophy and will hope the backing of one of the world’s most recognisable figures in the stands will help carry them over the line
Prince William emerged from the dressing room after offering the players his support
‘He called me a Rolls-Royce once. That got stuck in my head. I’ll take that all day. It was really nice.
‘I’m sure he’d know every player’s name … since I joined he has been showing unreal support, coming into the changing room, greeting everyone and showing everyone the utmost respect. Massive credit to him for taking his time to come and watch us and support us.’
The Prince of Wales has been vocal in his support of Unai Emery’s side ahead of the final, taking to social media before the match to deliver a rallying cry: ‘Come on Villa! Good luck in tonight’s Europa League final. UTV! W’.
This followed his passionate showing at the semi-final, where he was seen enthusiastically punching the air as Villa despatched Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest 4-0 to book their place in Wednesday night’s final.
A passionate Villa supporter since his school days, William once explained how he chose the club while studying in Berkshire, resisting the pull of more popular teams.
‘A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams,’ he told the BBC in 2015.
William, who has supported the Birmingham club since his schooldays and is expected to be in the stands for the clash
England and Villa defender Ezri Konsa praised the importance of Prince William’s support prior to kick-off
‘I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.’
William was born 26 days after Villa’s last European victory – when they lifted European Cup final after defeating Bayern Munich on 26 May 1982.
He has spoken in the past about the pleasure he gets from following a club with the ups and downs Villa have experienced.
‘Aston Villa’s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea (in the final),’ he said.
‘It was fantastic, I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was sat with all the Brummie fans and had a great time
‘It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.’
He has certainly endured a turbulent campaign, with Villa opening their Premier League season on a five-game winless streak that left them in the relegation zone.
Yet the narrative shifted dramatically before Christmas, as an 11-game winning run propelled them into the fringes of the title conversation.
While Unai Emery was quick to temper expectations, Villa’s journey to the final stands as a clear testament to the resilience he has instilled in the side.
