Prince William surprised and delighted football enthusiasts with his unexpected appearance as a pundit on TNT Sports.
The Prince of Wales, a known Aston Villa supporter, joined the TNT Sports broadcast team ahead of Aston Villa`s crucial Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain in Paris.
Prince William`s support for Aston Villa is well-documented, and he is frequently seen at their home games at Villa Park.
He confessed to feeling “pretty terrified” about the significant match against PSG, noting that it was Aston Villa`s first Champions League quarter-final appearance since 1983.
Speaking before the game, after Ally McCoist reminded him he was born shortly after Aston Villa`s European Cup victory in 1982, Prince William joked about his attire: “I`m wearing all my lucky clothes and bits and pieces. I`m hoping it`s going to bring some luck tonight.”
When asked about his expectations for the team`s performance, he commented on PSG`s intense play against Liverpool in their previous match: “We all saw the Liverpool game and PSG`s intensity, in the first leg they were unbelievable. They gave a lot of pressure, they pressed very high.”
He further elaborated on Aston Villa`s strategy, stating, “For Unai [Emery] tonight and the team it`s about managing that press. Unai likes it when teams come onto them and play quite a high press, but obviously there`s a limit in, `can we get around the press? Can we beat it?` So I`m thinking long ball a bit, I`m also thinking of how they`re going to get around the high press.”
Rio Ferdinand, the Manchester United legend, playfully remarked to Prince William, “Can I just say something, do not go for a job in punditry please because I could be out of the game. The way he`s just dissected that there, I`m going to nick that for later on.”
Fans online also lauded Prince William`s insightful pre-match analysis. One fan commented that his analysis was “Better than most pundits,” while another simply stated, “Prince William knows football.” Further comments included, “He knows his stuff defo,” and “Good football knowledge to be fair.”
Sports presenter Laura Woods also acknowledged his appearance with clapping emojis online.
Prince William was indeed seen at Parc des Princes, accompanied by his son, George. They were visibly excited when Aston Villa took an early lead thanks to a goal from Morgan Rogers. However, their joy was short-lived as PSG quickly equalized and eventually won the match 3-1.
Regarding bringing his son to the game, Prince William, who is also the FA President, explained it was about “making memories,” hoping to share the experience of a major European night with his son.
He added, “I`m not sure how many Villa fans there will be but they will make themselves well known. I have got my son here too so I am on best behaviour but 43 years since this has happened and I want George to experience a night out in a big competition, those memories are really important to create and bringing him away is important.”
