Prince William was seen celebrating with Aston Villa players in the dressing room after the club's Europa League final victory over Freiburg in Istanbul. The Prince of Wales, a lifelong Villa fan, was invited to join the post-match festivities, where he reportedly drank beers with the squad.
Villa full-back Matty Cash confirmed the royal's presence, saying: 'He deserves moments like these and hopefully he can let his hair down.' Captain John McGinn also praised William, noting he had visited the dressing room before kick-off and was 'a classy guy' and 'just a normal guy.'
The victory marked Villa's first European trophy since 1982, with goals from Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia in the first half, and Morgan Rogers adding a third after the break. William was seen crying tears of joy in the stands during the match.
After the game, William posed for photos with manager Unai Emery and Villa director Damian Vidagany, holding the trophy. On social media, he congratulated the team and gave a special mention to injured midfielder Boubacar Kamara.
The celebrations continued with players' families and friends, as Maja Lindelof, wife of Villa defender Victor Lindelof, posted an image of William partying with the caption 'off the rails'. Villa had already secured Champions League qualification prior to the final.
