Aston Villa star reveals Prince William's nickname and opens up on daunting experience of meeting royal

Konsa has revealed the flattering nickname bestowed upon him by Prince William. The future king, a lifelong Villa supporter, has become a regular presence around the squad, and it appears he is a big fan of the centre-back's composed style of play.

Speaking to The Telegraph about his interactions with the royal, Konsa admitted that while he isn't entirely sure of the depth of the prince's tactical expertise, he was delighted with the royal seal of approval. “Ever since I joined, he has shown unreal support, coming into the changing room and showing us the utmost respect,” Konsa said. “I don’t know much about his football knowledge, but he has called me a ‘Rolls-Royce’ once, though. I’ll take that. That got stuck in my head, and it’s nice.”

While the Villa players are used to the high-pressure environment of the Premier League, meeting the heir to the British throne brings a different kind of intensity. Konsa confessed that the gravity of the situation often only hits the players once they have left the stadium and returned to their normal lives.

“It’s weird because on game day, when he comes in, you focus on the game and you’re in the moment, and you don’t realise how big it is that he is coming in to greet everyone and shake his hand,” the defender explained. “Sometimes you get caught up in the moment, and you go home and think, flipping hell, I just shook his hand, and he knows my name and everything. Having his support is brilliant, not just for the club but for the players as well.”

Given the international makeup of Unai Emery's squad, not every player was initially aware of the significance of their royal visitor. Prince William was seen celebrating enthusiastically at Villa Park during the semi-final victory over Nottingham Forest, but some of the club's foreign stars needed a quick history lesson on exactly who was visiting the locker room.

Konsa noted that the prince's visits have become an educational experience for some of his teammates. “Some of the players didn’t know who he was beforehand, as they are from different countries, so for them to learn about him and know who he is, it is big,” he added. The Prince of Wales is now expected to travel to Turkey to see if Villa can secure their first piece of major silverware since 1996.

The stakes could not be higher for Villa, who are looking to emulate the legendary side of 1982. Interestingly, Prince William was born just weeks after the club's famous European Cup win over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam, and he was only 13 years old the last time they lifted a trophy – the 1996 League Cup.