Prince William shares emotional message ahead of 'adventure'
Prince William has always been a keen football fan and on Tuesday, the Prince of Wales took to X ahead of his beloved Aston Villa's first match in the Champions League.
The royal was in a reflective mood as he shared his post, saying: "The last time @AVFCOfficial won in the top European competition, it was the month before I was born. Let's hope tonight is the first step towards another European adventure!"
William also mentioned the recent death of footballer Gary Shaw, who played for Aston Villa between 1978 and 1988, making a total of 165 appearances and scoring 59 goals.
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The royal added: "My thoughts this evening are also with Villa legend Gary Shaw’s friends and family following his passing yesterday."
The last time @AVFCOfficial won in the top European competition, it was the month before I was born. Let’s hope tonight is the first step towards another European adventure!
My thoughts this evening are also with Villa legend Gary Shaw’s friends and family following his passing…— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 17, 2024
He finished off his message with his initial, 'W', marking the personal nature of his message.
Gary passed away on 16 September at the age of 63 after the footballing icon suffered a fall at his home on 9 September. The sportsman was admitted to hospital in a "serious condition" before dying a week after his admission.
William has supported the Birmingham-based club since his schooldays and in 2015 explained to Gary Lineker: "A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn't want to follow the run of the mill teams.
"I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments. Aston Villa's always had a great history."
The father-of-three has passed his love for the football club down to his eldest child, Prince George, and the youngster has joined his father at matches in the past.
William's post came shortly after he visited the official opening of the new Airbus Helicopters headquarters at Oxford Airport last Friday.
The royal attended in a private capacity as opposed to his public role and spoke to staff at the centre while touring an aircraft.
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Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in the UK, Lenny Brown, said: "We very much appreciate His Royal Highness’s attendance at the opening of our new HQ. The prince is an important figure in the British helicopter community and it was a great pleasure to show him our new state-of-the-art production facilities."
