Emery Says Prince William, 44, Asks About Aston Villa Every Day

• Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery says Prince William, 44, asks him about the team every day in the transfer window, per the Daily Mail.
• The Prince of Wales asks “Where am I sitting?” when he joins Emery and the squad for lunch.
• The Prince has followed Villa from his days at Eton, where he idolised Paul McGrath, and says he now thinks and talks about the club every day.

The Fan Who Asks Where He Should Sit at Villa Lunch

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has a regular questioner. Prince William, 44, asked about the team every day in the transfer window, and when he sits down to lunch with Emery and his squad, he asks where he should sit.

Emery described the relationship in a special edition of Country Life magazine, which the Prince of Wales guest edited. He began with the Prince’s daily questions.

“During the transfer window, he’s asking about the team every day,” the Villa boss said. “How is the team? How are you? How are we going to play some players? How are we going to do? He is always so close to us and we appreciate it so, so much.”

The Lunch Table

The Prince has eaten with Villa’s group and watched training sessions.

“When he’s with us, he’s a fantastic guy. We’ve had lunch together, he’s watched training sessions, we share conversations, everything about football. He shows his humble personality with us – I can’t forget it. For me, it seems unbelievable.”

Emery then described the lunch table.

“He’s our boss, but he’s always trying to be at our level, respecting so much everything we are doing here. If he’s sitting with us to have lunch, he asks “Where am I sitting?” Wherever you want! It’s fantastic.”

A Fan From Eton

The Prince has followed the club from his days at Eton, where he idolised club legend Paul McGrath and shunned the more conventional Premier League big beasts his schoolmates supported.

He attends matches at Villa Park and across Europe with his son George, and he has been a prominent figure through the club’s recent rise under Emery. He partied with the squad after last season’s Europa League triumph.

On 3 November he watched Villa lose 3-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League at Camp Nou.

In the same Country Life feature, the Prince explained what the game means to him.

“Football feels like a second family to me, I love the tribal nature of being among others who support the same team. We all experience the highs and lows of following that team together and you get the feeling that you belong somewhere.”

His own playing days come into it too.

“I used to be a defender, usually right back, and I’m hoping to play in a few fathers’ five-a-side matches. Since having children, I’ve become even more fanatical than I thought I would be about the game.”

He says his interest has grown with age.

“I wasn’t like this when I was 18 or 20, I kept an eye from a distance. Now, I probably think and talk about Aston Villa every day. I enjoy looking to see what is going on: the stats, the players’ recovery, tactics and matches.”

Why He Picked Villa

The Prince has explained his choice before. In 2015 he said he wanted something other than the obvious.

“A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams,” he said.

“I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.”

He pointed to the club’s history and to a day out at the FA Cup.

“Aston Villa’s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea (in the final).”

He remembered the trip fondly.

“It was fantastic, I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was with all the Brummie fans and had a great time.”

“It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.”

What Emery Wants to Give Him

Emery closed with what the squad wants to give him.

“We are scoring, he is celebrating, it is fantastic for us. If we can give him good news, good results, good moments in football, we are proud of it.”