Prince William reveals joking with Gareth Southgate about picking Jack Grealish

Prince William has revealed joking with Gareth Southgate about Jack Grealish's omission from the England squad and spoken of his concerns for footballers' mental health.

The Duke of Cambridge is an avid Aston Villa fan, following the club since the age of 11, and has jested with England manager Southgate about giving their star player his first England cap. 

The Duke was speaking on BBC Sport's That Peter Crouch Podcast in his role as FA president and ambassador for the Heads Up campaign, which will be the sponsor of Saturday's FA Cup final between Arsenal and Chelsea.

"Gareth (Southgate) is a legend, I really like Gareth and I think he's doing a great job with the England team," he said.

"That's not to say that conversations haven't been had where I give him a little nudge and say: 'Why isn't (Jack) Grealish in the England squad?'".

Grealish played a crucial role in securing Aston Villa's Premier League status for another year, scoring on the final day of the season in their 1-1 draw at West Ham United.

Only Kevin De Bruyne created more chances than Grealish in the Premier League last season, and the Villa man was also the division's most fouled player.

Grealish played youth football for the Republic of Ireland but wishes to play for England at senior level after playing seven times for their Under 21s.

William became an Aston Villa fan after attending an FA Cup tie between Villa and Bolton Wanderers aged 11 and out of a desire not to support "Manchester United or Chelsea" as many of his school friends did. The Prince was also born in 1982, the year in which Ron Saunders led Aston Villa to European Cup glory.

The Heads Up campaign encourages people to start conversations around mental health, particularly young men, and has won the backing of several high-profile figures within football.

"I've met a lot of players. It's very interesting, how different sports and different teams behave in a changing room," William said.

"Whenever I go into the England dressing room there does always feel a lot more pressure. I don't know what it is, but you do notice guys find it much more difficult to relax.

"We talk about physical fitness. We never really talk about mental fitness. We all need to stay mentally fit, none more so than professional athletes who - under special circumstances playing for England under huge pressure - have got to have their heads razor sharp as well as their feet and legs."