Prince William’s raw emotion was on full display on Thursday night after seeing his beloved Aston Villa side reach the Europa League final.
The Prince of Wales was in attendance for their semi-final second leg at Villa Park and he was a beacon of happiness at full-time after their 4-0 win overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit against rivals Nottingham Forest.
The full-time whistle sparked mass hysteria inside Villa Park, and the future King of the United Kingdom was a part of that as he was pictured clapping enthusiastically and celebrating with those nearby.
He also got involved in the post-match singing as he was captured on the TNT Sports cameras, who will screen the final in Istanbul on May 20, belting out Neil Diamond’s 1969 classic Sweet Caroline with other supporters as it was blasted over the tannoy.
He then visited the Villa players’ dressing room to congratulate them and manager Unai Emery on their achievement.
The elation was in contrast to his serene state pre-match. He was seen talking to Emery in the build-up to the game and later having a chat with England head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Prince William was beaming as he saw his Aston Villa side reach the Europa League final
His raw emotion was visible as Villa scored a third goal against Nottingham Forest on Thursday
The Prince of Wales can look forward to seeing his side face German side Freiburg on May 20
However, once the match did get underway the initial nerves were visible as he puffed out his cheeks in one photo during the game.
Those worries were allayed a little bit on 36 minutes when Ollie Watkins put Villa ahead on the evening, making it 1-1 on aggregate, after scoring after excellent work from Emi Buendia.
Buendia then put Villa in front in the tie from the penalty spot on 58 minutes – cueing the first real raw celebration from Prince William.
John McGinn spoke to the royal member before kick-off and he brought a smile to his face towards the end of the match with a four-minute brace on 77 and 80 minutes to complete the scoreline and let Prince William and others dream of the Europa League final.
Freiburg now stand between Villa and their first major trophy in 30 years and automatic qualification for the Champions League next season, although they looked well-placed to finish in the top five in the Premier League.
If they do win the Europa League in less than a fortnight, that would mean Emery has won this competition five times as a manager.
Speaking post-match Watkins believes Emery’s record in the Europa League stands them in good stead to make it five for him.
‘There is no better manager to get us prepared for this game and obviously take us into the final as well. His track record speaks for itself,’ Watkins said on TNT Sports.
‘We are in a great position, but we need to go there and win now.’
Prince William fist pumps after Emi Buendia’s penalty put Villa ahead 2-1 on aggregate
He looked nervous before the match, but those worries were later allayed by his side’s display
Prince William had an engaging chat with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery ahead of the match
Pre-match, the future King of the United Kingdom spoke with England boss Thomas Tuchel
John McGinn, who would go on to score twice, shares a chat with Prince William pre-kick-off
Read More
Why Bellingham and Rice may not both start for England at the World Cup – GARETH BARRY INTERVIEW
Meanwhile, McGinn has urged his team to seize what might have proven to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
‘I am normally quite calm before the game, but the pressure today was intense,’ the Scotland midfielder reflected.
‘I was nervous going into the game and tonight was one of the best performances from Villa I’ve seen in a long time.
‘What I said to the lads was they might not get another chance to play in a European semi-final as they don’t come along too often.
‘When you get to 31, it might be the last chance to get to a European final.’
