Prince William visited St George’s Park to wish England’s Lionesses good luck ahead of the Women’s Euros in Switzerland next week – and tried his hand at printing the players names and numbers on their team shirts
Prince William wished the Lionesses the best of luck for the Euros – and claimed the men’s team could learn from their team spirit. The Prince of Wales, who is patron of the Football Association, visited St George’s Park where he met the players and manager Sarina Wiegman before they jet off to Switzerland for the tournament, which kicks off on Wednesday.
He pitched in with the team’s preparations for the tournament by trying his hand at printing their names and numbers on their shirts. And in a personal speech to the players ahead of the major tournament, he urged the Lionesses to keep forging kinship as it is “one of your greatest assets”.
He said: “The men’s team could definitely learn off your camaraderie and your team environment. You’re brilliant together, you create a very unique unit that is rare in lots of other sports. So hold onto that, treasure that, build on it, because it’s one of your greatest assets.”
The prince told newcomers on the team ahead of England’s opening match against France on Saturday: “For the seven of you that are starting your first major tournament, the very best of luck. You all seem very relaxed and very together and with it, which is fantastic news. Go and enjoy yourselves.
“I know there’s a huge expectation on you now from your successors, that is good and that’s also going to be in the back of your minds as you go out there.”
His reference was to the Lionesses’ historic Euros win in July 2022, which he cited as the reason many young girls have now “gone into football”.
He added: “The fact that 10 years ago women’s football was barely seen in the light it is today and those opportunities have changed because of what you’ve done. So don’t take it lightly, we’re all counting on you guys doing a fantastic job and go and have fun.”
Elsewhere during the visit to St George’s Park, William joined primary and secondary schoolgirls on an indoor pitch to talk about their experiences in football as part of the Football Association’s drive to increase the number of women who go into the sport.
As patron and former president of the FA, and an avid football fan, the prince spoke with a number of the girls about their inspiration behind getting into the sport.
Asked if his own 10-year-old daughter, Princess Charlotte, played football, he said: “Yes, she’s not quite as into the football as much as the boys but getting there.”
Before meeting with friends and families of the Lionesses privately, the prince was able to print the name and number on a shirt as part of Aggie Beever-Jones’s kit.
Using a machine to stamp her surname and numbering onto the shirt, which the footballer will use in the upcoming Euros, he joked: “I really hope it doesn’t come off in the match.” Beever-Jones, 21, held up the shirt and quipped: “There’s a little crease but I’ll let it slide”.
William also met players Maya Le Tissier and Michelle Agyemang, who will be playing in July’s tournament too. He told them: “It’s an exciting journey ahead…are you nervous? When you’re here it doesn’t feel real does it, but once you get to Switzerland.”
Speaking after the visit, 11-year-old Blossom Appleby said the prince had been “very polite and welcoming”. The aspiring young footballer, from Birmingham, added that he asked whether the Lionesses 2022 win was an inspiration to her. She said: “I think it did help inspire a lot of younger women and I think it’s just given females in general that boost to aspire to do what they did.”
Ameera Altaf, also 11, added: “It was a great experience, I was a bit nervous. He asked us what team he liked and said it was all good that I support Liverpool, he doesn’t mind.”
Meanwhile, Surayya Khan, a 13-year-old student from Holt, revealed the pair had bonded over their shared favourite player in Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
She said: “[Martinez] might get transferred to another team and he was saying he hopes that doesn’t happen. It was really nice seeing [Prince William] in person and what he did as a kid compared to me. He was talking about what his experience was and what position he played – defender.”
Before William left, he took a group photo with the Lionesses and was given three team shirts to pass on to George, Charlotte and Louis.
