Prince William has given an interview to ‘The Sun’ in which he talks, among other things, about his footballing side. The heir to the British throne is a staunch Aston Villa fan: “Some family friends took me to my first Villa game when I was younger. It was against Bolton. Among the fans and the chants, I felt like I belonged there. From then on I kept an eye on Villa. At first I didn’t get too involved. But, interestingly, Villa’s relegation to the Championship in 2016 sparked my interest even more.”
William explains how he has experienced the evolution of the villains, who have gone from being in the second division to fighting for the Champions League. “We are all very proud and happy with what they have done and you can see the difference with a coach like Unai, who brings people together and works hard on the small details. He is an excellent coach with a great support team around him and the players enjoy playing for him.”
According to the Prince of Wales, Emery is the best coach the club has ever had: “There were a lot of good managers in Villa’s time, but I would say Unai is a step ahead of them in terms of his formations and the level of detail he offers in his videos. He lives, eats, breathes and sleeps football and gives you a little life lesson: if you really want to do something well, you have to give it your all and dedicate your time.”
William’s secrets
As for the inheritance of this passion for Villa, William says that he does not force his children to be Villa fans, but hopes that they will find their own teams in time. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t go to the stadium with them, or watch games from home all together. On the latter, the heir has revealed a funny anecdote that he usually carries out with his children: “I have a bit of superstition about where I sit when I watch games at home. If we’re not doing very well, I start moving around the house at breakneck speed and placing the kids in different positions in the hope that it will change our luck.”
He also confessed that he sometimes writes in internet forums anonymously: “I like to participate in the forums. I can be there for a long time. I listen to what other fans say and give them my opinion. I get very involved, no doubt about it. It’s important to have that debate. That said, while I may be an armchair fanatic, I wouldn’t dare tell Unai if he’s doing something wrong.”
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