Prince William Goes on New Heights: A Royal Football Recap
Prince William made a surprise appearance on the New Heights podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, delivering a wide-ranging conversation about his lifelong Aston Villa fandom, England’s World Cup hopes, the growth of American football in the UK, and the cultural differences between soccer and NFL fandom.
The Origin Story: Why Aston Villa?
One of the most revealing moments came when the Kelce brothers asked how William became an Aston Villa supporter. Unlike the Kelces, whose father “integrated” them into being Cleveland Browns fans, William’s football allegiance was entirely self-made.
Absolutely not. My father hates football.
— Prince William
That was William’s response when asked if Prince Charles got him into Aston Villa—and it set the tone for a refreshingly candid conversation about how he fell in love with the game.
Key points from William’s fandom origin:
- School friends introduced him: His football love came from friends taking him to his first match at age 17—the 2000 FA Cup semi-final between Aston Villa and Bolton at Wembley, where he sat among regular fans wearing a red beanie.
- He deliberately avoided mainstream teams: At school, most classmates supported Manchester United or Chelsea. William wanted something different—a mid-table club that would deliver emotional highs and lows rather than guaranteed victories.
- Born in the right year: William was born in 1982, the same year Aston Villa won the European Cup, creating a personal historical connection he’s frequently highlighted.
I got into football more than ever when we got relegated.
— Prince William
William explained that Aston Villa’s drop from the Premiership to the Championship actually deepened his engagement—more matches, midweek games, and the battle to get back up made him love the club even more.
England’s World Cup Confidence
With the World Cup underway, the conversation naturally turned to England’s prospects following their win over Croatia. William, who served as FA president from 2010 and is now patron, expressed “quiet confidence” in the current squad.
I think Thomas Tuchel… has got them into a really good frame of mind. The team’s playing with more freedom, more fluidity.
— Prince William
William praised manager Thomas Tuchel for instilling a more attacking philosophy compared to Gareth Southgate’s defensive mindset.
If we lose, we lose playing the way we want to play… if you’re going to score four goals, we’ll score five.
— Prince William
That attacking mentality, William said, is a “really good attitude”—and it’s why he’s optimistic about England’s chances.
When asked what a successful World Cup would look like for England, William’s answer was simple:
Winning it.
— Prince William
NFL in London: Growing Popularity
The Kelces, who have played at Wembley Stadium, asked William about the NFL’s growing presence in London. William confirmed that American football is “definitely” getting more popular in the UK, though he noted some cultural barriers.
I love American football. It’s brilliant… but how you guys do it as many times as you do and all the tactics, it’s really quite intense.”
William has attended NFL training sessions and games in London, and even tried (and nearly injured himself) attempting touchdowns.
I’ve tried to do a couple of touchdowns, nearly put out my shoulder blade.
— Prince William
His observations on NFL growth in the UK:
- The tactical complexity is a hurdle: The stop-start nature and tactical breaks are different from the 90-minute continuous flow of football, making it harder for UK fans to understand at first.
- Stadium scale is impressive: William said the size of American stadiums would be a “culture shock” for English fans visiting for the World Cup.
- More exposure helps: The more it’s televised and the more people understand the rules, the more popular it becomes.
Culture Shock: English Fans in America
When asked what would be the biggest culture shock for English fans coming to the US for the World Cup, William had a few observations:
I think the scale of your stadiums… is really going to be quite a culture shock for a lot of fans.
— Prince William
Other culture shocks:
- The beer: “The light beer definitely is going to taste different,” he joked, though he added that UK fans can “handle our own beer to anyone”.
- Missing the chants: Travis Kelce noted that the US lacks the passionate soccer chant culture that defines English football. William agreed, saying the “tribality” of club support—where your weekend mood depends entirely on the result—is central to English football culture.
You know, my weekend goes from being either the best weekend in the world when we win, or to frankly I don’t want to see anyone on Monday morning because I’m really down.
— Prince William
The Pub Culture and Community
The conversation touched on the communal aspect of English sports culture, particularly the role of pubs in bringing fans together. William confirmed that “rowdy evenings” and “long afternoons” with drinks and friends are central to the matchday experience.
Those rowdy evenings, those long afternoons, few drinks… there’s plenty of chants you guys don’t want to hear. They’re pretty spicy. They’re quite rude to broadcast.
— Prince William
His Role as FA President/Patron
When asked about his duties as FA president (now patron), William kept it light:
Just don’t mess up.
— Prince William
But he elaborated that his role has been to be a “cheerleader supporter” of the England team, backing the FA’s governance work, supporting World Cup and Euro bids, and helping reform outdated football legislation—particularly to reflect the growth of women’s football.
The women’s game particularly has come out of a smaller world to now being massive, and I’m not sure we quite reflect that in how we look after the football game.
— Prince William
Mount Rushmore of English Footballers
In the podcast’s signature segment, William was asked to name his Mount Rushmore of English footballers. His picks spanned different eras:
- David Beckham: “The best crosser of the ball I’ve ever seen and probably ever will see.”
- Gary Lineker / Harry Kane: William noted these two are tied, with Kane potentially becoming one of England’s greatest strikers.
- Steven Gerrard: An “absolutely fantastic” midfielder.
- Wayne Rooney: Part of the generation William grew up watching and loved.
- Bobby Charlton: Mentioned as one of the greatest of all time if going further back.
The Kelces also asked about Rooney’s reputation for never diving, and William weighed in on VAR and the challenge of eliminating diving without making the game too “staccato”.
You’ve got to be careful what you wish for… it could become so staccatoed that you don’t end up having a free-flowing game at all.
— Prince William
The Taylor Swift Connection
The episode inevitably circled back to the Kelces’ famous backstage meeting with William, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte at Taylor Swift’s Wembley Eras Tour show. Travis recalled how Jason didn’t know what to do with his beer when meeting the royal family—a moment Swift herself has recounted.
When asked which Wembley moment was more iconic—Travis scoring a touchdown in 2015 or being a backup dancer to Taylor Swift—William immediately picked the Taylor Swift moment.
Travis is a backup dancer. Definitely a very proud moment of my life, for sure.
— Prince William
William also congratulated Travis on having four daughters (Jason’s kids), calling it “the hardest job.”
The “Welcome to Football” Moment
In the podcast’s “Welcome to the Profession” segment, William shared his “welcome to football” moment: Aston Villa’s relegation. He explained that fighting to get back to the Premiership, with more matches and midweek games, actually deepened his engagement with the club. His ultimate highlight, however, was Villa’s Europa League final win—their first European trophy since 1982, the year William was born.
I was born a month after they won the European Cup in ’82… so that generation has missed out on many big opportunities. Winning a European trophy is just the best thing.
— Prince William
