Prince William makes first appearance amid new controversy

The Prince of Wales arrived at the training camp ahead of England’s first match on Sunday.

Prince William presented the England squad with their shirts today after manager Gareth Southgate sparked controversy with some of his number selections for the players.

The squad numbers for the tournament were confirmed over the weekend, with Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold assigned the number eight jersey. This suggests he is set to play in midfield for the group opener against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on June 16.

The decision has been controversial since the 25-year-old has spent most of his career as a full-back, but Southgate prefers to utilize him in midfield.

The list of numbers also hints at Southgate’s intention to start Luke Shaw at left-back, despite the Manchester United defender not having played a match since February due to a knee injury.

The men’s football team is currently the favorite to win the Euros. Prince William, as the head of the Football Association (FA), traveled to St George’s Park in Burton upon Trent to wish the team luck.

He spent time with the entire team and Southgate, presenting the 26 players with their numbered shirts. William, a known football fan, often attends Aston Villa games with his sons.

During the meeting William also revealed that he asked his three young children, Prince George 10, Princess Charlotte 9, and Prince Louis 6, if they had any messages he should convey to the footballers.

He added that Louis suggested the players should eat twice the normal amount of food they consume to prepare for the tournament.

William said: “I was on the school run this morning with the children and said what should I say to the England team when I see them today.

“The best bit of advice I got was to eat twice the amount you normally eat.

“So I’m now having visions of all of you running around with massive tummies and loads of stitches on the pitch. So I think maybe take my youngest’s advice with a pinch of salt.”

The prince revealed his love of Birmingham based football club Aston Villa to the BBC in 2015: “A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs.”

Meanwhile, William is fulfilling his royal duties despite health concerns for King Charles and Kate Middleton.