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.
Aston Villa will play their first European final in 44 years ?
The Villans will meet Freiburg in the Europa League final ?
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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
John McGinn, who would go on to score twice, shares a chat with William ahead of the match
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.’