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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Neil Murphy & Russell Myers

West Brom tease Aston Villa fan Prince William with cheeky gift for the kids

Prince William was teased with this cheeky gift for his kids during a visit to West Bromwich Albion for a charity event today.

The die-hard Aston Villa fan joked with players and coaches as he visited the training ground of their Midlands rivals.

The royal - who is president of the FA -  met head coach Slaven Bilić, first team players, staff and academy youngsters to discuss his Heads Up campaign which is aiming to break down the stigma surrounding mental health in football.

In a light-hearted gesture, the royal was given a pair of matching jerseys emblazoned with the names "Louis" and "Charlotte" by club's staff as well as a signed ball.

The duke is sometimes seen at Aston Villa wearing the club's trademark claret and blue, and will surely be hoping his two youngest will follow in his footsteps.

Last month, Prince George was filmed celebrating with his mum and dad as Villa thrashed Norwich at Carrow Road.

He was gifted with a signed ball today as well, with the club admitting they've got "no chance with your eldest".

The Duke was given these two matching jerseys during the visit (Richard Guttridge/Twitter)

He once told the BBC that he has been following Villa since his school days and began supporting the Birmingham club because he "didn’t want to follow the run of the mill teams".

William joined the first team squad on the training pitch and quizzed them about the impact these challenges can often have upon their mental wellbeing.

He said: “I’m sorry I’m here as an Aston Villa fan but I’m hoping we can move on from that.

“I hope you have heard of the campaign we are running, trying to get everyone involved in the game talking about mental health.

William was handed a signed ball for Villa fan George (@WBA/Twitter)
Cheeky West Brom staff also handed up shirts for Charlotte and Louis (@WBA/Twitter)

“The stats are bad about men and mental health, really bad.

“Girls are pretty good, but guys are really bad at talking about it.

“I’m hoping this year, we’ll be able to bring the subject and the fact that it’s ok to talk about and a sign of strength, rather than burying it.

Prince William meets soccer coach Slaven Bilic (REUTERS)
The Duke of Cambridge posed with first team players during the visit (REUTERS)

He added: “It’s also not just about the footballing community but about guys who are out there watching but we’re trying to get guys to be a bit more open about it.”

William spoke at length with midfielder Jake Livermore who after battling his own severe mental health issues came back to perform at the highest level.

Livermore escaped a ban from the game after he slid into a cocaine-fuelled depression following the death of his baby son in 2014.

William also tackled the issue of social media and its effect on the mental health of players, especially youngsters coming through the ranks.

Prince William posed for pictures with Aston Villa's rivals (Daily Mirror)

Heads Up is a season-long campaign spearheaded by The Duke of Cambridge which uses the popularity of football to promote mental health.

The campaign seeks to stigma surrounding mental health and raise awareness for those in need.

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