George is a little Villan
That means Aston Villa fan, just like Dad. And yesterday the family cheered their thumping 5-1 win
IF THERE’S anything better for a young boy than going to your first football match with your Dad, it’s seeing your team wallop the opponents 5-1 while you’re there.
The glee was evident on Prince George’s face yesterday as he saw his beloved Aston Villa trounce Norwich City.
The six- year- old has inherited Prince William’s love of the Claret And Blues, and punched the air as the team scored on their way to a historic victory.
Mum Kate, and Princess Charlotte, four, joined the boys at Norwich’s Carrow Road ground – about an hour from their home at Anmer Hall in Sandringham – but were more restrained in their enjoyment of the match.
George, who was dressed in Villa pyjama top, part of a £22 set sold by the club, was particularly delighted when Conor Hourihane sank the fourth goal in the 61st minute jumping up and down as Villa’s victory – their first away win in the Premier League in four years – was assured.
William, who was glued to the action, briefly looked down to smile at his son and appeared to gently try to calm him.
Kate laughed away as George continued to grin and punch the air in his over-excitement, while Charlotte also appeared engrossed in the game and cuddled up to her mother as she curiously eyed the action. Younger brother Prince Louis, who is only one, stayed at home.
Aston Villa, also nicknamed Villans, said on their official Twitter account: ‘You know how to pick your #AVFC games, Your Royal Highness.’ William retweeted the message to share his joy.
The Cambridges were also joined in the executive enclosure by Charlotte’s godmother Sophie Carter, the educationalist daughter of Norfolk construction tycoon Robert Carter, and her husband Robert Snuggs. George has long developed a love of football and posed for his official birthday photographs in an England T-shirt.
Speaking about how he came to support Aston Villa, William has said: ‘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. I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional r ol l ercoaster moments.’
DEAN SMITH promised to give the Duke of Cambridge a ticket for Aston Villa’s home game with Brighton after they produced a display to delight him as he watched from the stands.
Prince William, a Villa supporter, enjoyed a family outing along with the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte as Jack Grealish inspired Villa to a crushing win that lifted them out of the bottom three.
Smith said: ‘I’ll have to get him a ticket for the next game. I didn’t know he was coming but it was great to put on a performance like that for him.’
Two goals from £22million striker Wesley and further strikes from Grealish, Conor Hourihane and substitute Douglas Luiz ended a run of 10 away defeats in the top flight for Villa.
Substiute Josip Drmic scored a stoppage- t i me consolation for Norwich, which Smith missed as he needed to go to the toilet.
Wesley could have had a first-half hat-trick but his penalty was saved by Michael McGovern, the thirdchoice keeper for injury-ravaged Norwich, whose manager Daniel Farke will want to forget his 100th league match in charge.
‘I’m really pleased with Wesley,’ said Smith. ‘He’s only 22, a long way from his family and he has a big price tag on his shoulders.
‘He didn’t play that well last week, he admitted that to me, then he has put in a performance that he is capable of. There’s room f or improvement.’
Starting on the left of an attacking three, Grealish was given a free role by Smith and repaid him with a creative masterclass.
Hourihane and Tyrone Mings, booed throughout because of his spell at Ipswich, were also very impressive but Grealish, local boy and captain, is the one Villa have been waiting for.
This was his first Premier League goal in f our years and more performances like this from him will attract the attention of Gareth Southgate and make Villa believe they can charge up the table.
For Norwich, last month’s win over Manchester City already feels a long time ago.
McGovern was starting his first senior game since April 2017, because of injuries to Tim Krul and Ralf Fahrmann, two of 10 injured players for Norwich.
Villa struck first when Anwar El Ghazi crossed from the right, and Wesley was allowed to control the ball on his chest before poking it past McGovern.
Two flares were launched onto the pitch from the Villa section, claret and blue smoke briefly filling the air.
Villa moved up a gear. El Ghazi nodded against t he bar, after Wesley’s header had cannoned back off McGovern’s chest, before John McGinn curled just wide. Then, shortly before the half-hour mark, Norwich were convinced they should have had a penalty when Todd Cantwell’s deflected cross hit the back of Mings’ arm but, after appearing to consult VAR, referee Andrew Madley played on.
Villa made the most of the close call by extending the lead almost immediately following a fine move down the left involving Grealish, Matt Targett and Hourihane, with Wesley again left alone in the sixyard box to tap i n midfielder Hourihane’s low cross.
The Brazilian should have had his hat-trick seven minutes later when Villa were awarded a penalty for a clear trip by Kenny McLean on Hourihane, only for McGovern to stop the spot-kick and then block Wesley’s follow-up.
That should have given Norwich — still very much in the game — some momentum, yet Villa again showed more quality in attack.
Grealish glided from left to right, found El Ghazi and then steered the return pass past McGovern. By this point, Norwich were increasingly ragged, yet persisted in attempting to play out from the back.
The plan led to Villa’s fourth as Targett robbed Emiliano Buendia on the edge of the penalty box and Hourihane drove beyond McGovern from 20 yards.
The one concern for Smith will be centre- back Bjorn Engels, who appeared to suffer an ankle injury in a tussle with Teemu Pukki.
Nothing could derail Villa, though, a n d Douglas Lui z — o n for Hourihane — curled in a fifth seven minutes from time.
Norwich’s consolation came when Villa keeper Tom Heaton was surprised by Mings’ miscued c l e a r a nce a nd Drmic t a pped home.
Farke said: ‘The most important thing is to stick together. I didn’t expect a situation where there would be so many injured.’