Prince William was concerned about Prince George supporting Chelsea due to club’s ‘culture’

Prince William has said he was “concerned” over his son Prince George supporting Chelsea due to the culture at the club before Frank Lampard’s arrival as manager this season.

Lampard, who was appointed last summer, previously played in the Blues’ midfield and remains the club’s all-time top goalscorer.

The Duke of Cambridge is an Aston Villa fan but, while speaking on ‘That Peter Crouch Podcast’, said Prince George is free to support whichever team he likes.

“I’m trying not to persuade him to be a Villa fan, I’m letting him choose his own way,” Prince William said. “It’s about finding what fits for him.

“Previously I was a bit concerned about him supporting Chelsea, but now Frank’s come in I feel the culture’s a bit different at Chelsea and I’d be okay with it.

“I do like the values and the ethos of the club. I want them to look after the players and set a good example to the young fans.

“I want our children, when they go the match, to come away loving what they’ve seen, enjoying it and seeing their role models behave in a way that we’d all want them to.”

Chelsea take on Arsenal in this Saturday’s FA Cup final, which has been renamed the ‘Heads Up FA Cup final’ as part of a mental health awareness initiative led by Prince William.

“We’re going to really use the final as a moment to promote good, positive mental health for everyone,” the Duke of Cambridge said in June. “It’s quite timely, bearing in mind what we’ve all been through with this pandemic.

“I think there’s going to be, sadly, a lot of repercussions from this in society, not just in football, in terms of people’s mental health. Hopefully the FA Cup can be a bit of a pivot that people can rally around.”

The final will take place at Wembley Stadium.