Aston Villa’s royal approval: Prince William dances to Sweet Caroline and fist-pumps as he celebrates his beloved side reaching the Europa League final with dominant victory over Nottingham Forest
Prince William‘s raw emotion was on full display last night after seeing his beloved Aston Villa 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 the stadium, and the future King was seen clapping enthusiastically and celebrating with those nearby.
He also got involved in the post-match singing as he was captured belting out Neil Diamond’s 1969 classic Sweet Caroline with other supporters by the TNT Sports cameras, who will screen the final in Istanbul on May 20, as it was blasted over the tannoy.
William then visited the Villa players’ dressing room to congratulate them and manager Unai Emery on their achievement.
The elation was a stark contrast to his serene state pre-match. He was seen talking to Emery in the build-up to the game and later chatted with England head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Prince William was beaming as he saw his beloved Aston Villa 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 excellent work from Emi Buendia.
The Argentine then put Villa in front in the tie from the penalty spot on 58 minutes – cueing the first real raw celebration from William.
John McGinn spoke to the prince before kick-off and he brought a smile to his face towards the end of the match with a quickfire brace on 77 and 80 minutes to complete the scoreline and let 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 look well-placed to finish in the top five in the Premier League.
If they do win the Europa League in less than a fortnight, it would be the fifth time that Emery has lifted the trophy – having won it three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.
Speaking post-match Watkins said he believes Emery’s record in the competition puts Villa in a strong position to win.
He told TNT Sports: ‘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.
‘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 manager Unai Emery ahead of the match at Villa Park
The future King also spoke with England boss Thomas Tuchel before kick-off
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.’
The Prince of Wales was pictured pumping his fists in the air before celebrating with Aston Villa’s players in the dressing room after they reached the Europa League final.
Villa fan William was photographed cheering from the stands during their 4-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, which secured a 4-1 aggregate win and set up a meeting with Freiburg in the final on May 20.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery confirmed William had joined in with post-match celebrations.
“He was in the dressing room with the players and with me, and of course, he is so happy as well,” the Spaniard said.
William was joined by club ambassador Ahmed Elmohamady in the Villa Park stands in Birmingham.
Chris Wood’s penalty in the first leg had given Vitor Pereira’s Forest side the edge but Ollie Watkins levelled the aggregate scores in the 36th minute.
Forest failed to deliver the type of performance that saw them go 10 games unbeaten and they went behind in the tie 13 minutes after the interval, courtesy of Emi Buendia’s penalty, before John McGinn’s double sealed a 4-1 aggregate win and a trip to Istanbul.
William, patron of the Football Association, is a passionate Villa supporter and has followed the Midlands club since he was a schoolboy.
He was born less than a month after Villa’s most famous continental success, when they beat Bayern Munich to lift the European Cup in May 1982.
It is not yet known whether the prince will travel to Istanbul for the final later this month.
