Prince William is every football fan - see 8 of his priceless reactions

The Prince of Wales has long been an avid football fan and has been going to his matches since he was a little boy.

He's a renowned Aston Villa follower and praised striker Ollie Watkins as he sent England into the Euro 2024 against The Netherlands in the semi-final on Wednesday, writing in a personal message: "What a beauty, Ollie! Congratulations England! #EURO2024 Finalists W."

Like many football fans, Prince William goes through all of the emotions in the stands, whether he's watching his beloved Villa or England.

His passion for the sport has been noticed by fans with many of them relating to his priceless reactions.

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From nervous grimaces to holding his head in his hands, watching the beautiful game is often an emotional rollercoaster for the Prince.

Not to mention the pure joy on his face when his team score a goal or win a match, with William punching the air in celebration as England got through to the semi-final after their quarter-final against Switzerland.

See some of William's best reactions as a football fan in the gallery below…

1 /8

A tense moment

The Prince seemingly couldn't bear to watch as he put his hands over his eyes during a penalty shootout between England and Switzerland.

2 /8

Celebrations!

But luckily after a 1-1 draw, extra time and a tense penalty shootout, England cinched a win with William punching the air with delight.

3 /8

A game of two halves

Aston Villa always take William on an emotional rollercoaster and he was very animated during their match against Olympiakos in May 2024. There were brief celebrations before right winger Leon Bailey's goal was disallowed, with the match ending in a 4-2 defeat for Villa.

4 /8

A club with 'great history'

A gleeful William celebrating Villa's goal against Nottingham Forest in their Premier League match in April 2023, with the game ending in a 2-0 victory. The Prince previously revealed why he supports the West Midlands club in a conversation with Gary Lineker in 2015.

"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," William said. "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."

5 /8

Royal support

William jumped to his feet with wife Kate as Harry Kane scored for England in their Euro 2020 match against Germany.

6 /8

Moving on up

The Prince looked like any other fan as he celebrated Villa's promotion to the Premier League with former striker John Carew in 2019.

7 /8

Football friends

The two men also threw their arms around one another as Villa snatched a last-gasp victory over Championship rivals Cardiff City in 2018.

8 /8

Under pressure

William held his head in his hands during a frustrating England match against Slovakia at Euro 2016.

Euros 2024: get to know the Three Lions

Star players

England are the bookmakers' favourites to triumph in Germany, and with three star players like these, it's no surprise...

• Harry Kane – Captain and striker
• Jude Bellingham – Attacking midfielder/Forward
• Phil Foden – Attacking midfielder/Forward

Highest earners

Football is renowned for astronomical player wages, and England boasts some of the games most well remunerated ballers...

• Jude Bellingham is the highest earner of the Three Lions with a reported weekly salary of £343,718.58.
• Harry Kane earns a reported £343,656.43 per week.
• John Stones is the third highest earning player with a reported £250,000 weekly salary.

Goal threat

With a team packed with goalscorers, it would be an abject failure should they fail to make the net bulge with regularity...

• Harry Kane is England's all-time top scorer with over 400 goals for club and country.
• Phil Foden has enjoyed his best-ever season for Manchester City, claiming 17 goals and eight assists.
• Bukayo Saka has scored 11 goals for his country and has been named England men's player of the year for the past two seasons.

High-profile WAGs

It's not just the action in the stands that enthralls at major tournaments, England's WAGs line-up also garners attention. Here are three of its most high-profile members...

• Dani Dyer : Love Island winner has been in a relationship with West Ham star Jarred Bowen since 2021, and the pair welcomed twin girls in May 2023.
• Iris Law : Jude's daughter (Law not Bellingham) is believed to be beau'd-up with Liverpool player Trent Alexander-Arnold.
• Laura Celia Valk : Dutch model boasting more than half a million Instagram followers is understood to be dating Jude Bellingham.