PRINCE SURE THREE LIONS ‘WILL GO FAR’

GARETH SOUTHGATE and his England players have been given the royal seal of approval before the World Cup.

Prince William, who is FA president, visited the squad (top) before they flew to Qatar yesterday.

The Prince of Wales, an avid Aston Villa fan, told the players they had “built something special” under Southgate’s management and gave them a good luck speech.

England’s stars were also given a presentation box with their squad number and inside was a message from Southgate (below) which read: “Wear your shirt with pride. Embrace the opportunity to make history.”

Prince William told the players on Monday night: “What you and Gareth have built here is something special, that’s clear to see. Play for each other, support each other, enjoy it, and I’m sure you’ll go far.”

The players discovered their numbers at the meeting, starting with skipper Harry Kane who will wear the No.9 shirt.

He got the shirt in a bespoke box (above) which also included the history of the shirt and a picture of every England player who had worn it at a previous World Cup.

Every player was called up in turn and Southgate stressed the unique nature of the extra three shirts for rookies No.24 Callum Wilson, No.25 James Maddison and No.26 Conor Gallagher, as these finals allow a 26-man squad instead of 23.

The players were treated to an impromptu gig by Ed Sheeran at last year’s Euros and the royal visit was another special occasion before England jetted out yesterday morning.

Southgate said: “It was a nice moment to be with the group and Prince William, who has been a huge supporter of ours.

“I know how passionate the players are about their country and it was great to see what it meant to each of them as they came forward.”