Prince William was one happy football fan during his visit to the new training center of Aston Villa, his favorite team since his teens, and he hilariously told the players that he's their "best armchair manager."
The Duke of Cambridge spent time laughing and talking with the team, with a face mask on, as they discussed football and the other activities of the players during the lockdown. William beamed with pride when he learned that the Aston Villa took part in various community outreach programs to help the vulnerable people during the pandemic.
The future king was treated to a tour of the football team's new building, where they train and keep fit, as well as conduct their clinics and support programs for the community. William unveiled the plaque to the Aston Villa High Performance Centre, which proudly displayed his name.
It's no secret that William picked Aston Villa as his favorite sports team because they were the underdogs. He said during an interview with BBC for the FA Cup in 2015 that he didn't want the popular teams as he prefers the rollercoaster moments of supporting players who could win and lose. The royal said that it's these rollercoaster moments that make watching the sports more fun.
William's visit to the Aston Villa's new building comes off his four-day social media boycott to protest against online abuse. He joined the call, as organized by the soccer clubs, to encourage social media platforms to take a stronger stand against these abuses. William is the president of the Football Association.
The Duke of Cambridge is the first to admit that he is such a football fan as it's the one subject he'd love to tweet about on social media. He also relayed that he sometimes gets carried away when watching the games as he would scream his head off in front of the television.
He shared that his children would sometimes watch in horror while their father watched the sports on TV. William said that he's usually stressed out when his favorite team is on but it's a good thing he can let it all out in the family room and not be visibly seen in public when he's rooting for Aston Villa.
Meanwhile, William's eldest son, Prince George, has slowly taken a keen interest in football as well. Like his father, George is also an Aston Villa fan and has watched the game with his parents and siblings. Unlike Prince William, however, George is not yet conscious about screaming in public during the games and was seen in videos enthusiastically rooting for their team at the spectator's stand.
