Prince Louis offers the England squad advice on how to win Euro 2024 as his father Prince William tells stars the young Royal recommended they eat ‘double portions’ to clinch victory
Little Prince Louis has advised the England men’s football team to ‘eat twice as much’ as they normally would do ahead of Euro 2024.
The six-year-old offered his earnest thoughts on team tactics via his father, the Prince of Wales, who visited the team at St George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent this morning ahead of their departure for Germany.
Prince William is president of the Football Association (FA) and in a team-building talk revealed that he had asked his children when he was driving them to school this morning what he should say to the sportsmen.
He revealed: ‘I was on the school run this morning with the children and I said ‘what shall I say to the England team today’. The best bit of advice I got to ask you was to eat twice the amount you normally would eat.
‘So I then had visions of you all running around with massive great tummies and loads of stitches on the pitch so I think maybe take my youngest’s advice with a pinch of salt, particularly around the physio team.’
The Prince of Wales and England manager Gareth Southgate at St George’s Park this morning
The Prince of Wales (right) speaks with Jill Scott (left), Harry Kane (centre) and Gareth Southgate (second from right) during a visit to St George’s Park this morning
The Prince of Wales addresses players and staff during a visit to St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales speaks with England manager Gareth Southgate at St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales speaks with schoolchildren during a visit to St George’s Park today
(left to right) Jill Scott, Prince William, Ollie Watkins and Harry Kane at St George’s Park today
He was greeted outside by Mark Bullingham, chief executive of the FA, before coming in to speak to England manager Gareth Southgate, and England technical director John McDermott.
During the surprise visit, which was not announced to players in advance, William went to greet the squad. They were shown the video in which the FA revealed the squad line up before he addressed the players with his pep talk.
He said that he had seen ‘every single one’ of them play this season and praised their efforts on the pitch.
William said: ‘Tournament football is brutal and it requires a lot more than you’ve already given. You’ve had a long old season as it is and we’re going to ask you to go again.
‘It’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be challenging, it’s going to be everything that you’ve ever dreamed of, you know, wearing that England shirt, and all the experiences you’ve had at club football are going to have to be in the back of your head.
‘I think the biggest thing I’ve learnt from coming and seeing you guys over the years and every dressing room I’ve been to, is the togetherness, and I get that.
The Prince of Wales and England captain Harry Kane at St George’s Park today
England captain Harry Kane speaks with schoolchildren at St George’s Park today
Prince William makes a presentation to England captain Harry Kane at St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales speaks with schoolchildren during a visit to St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales and England manager Gareth Southgate at St George’s Park today
‘What Gareth has instilled in all of you over the years, I really feel that you’re a unit. You fight for each other, you play for each other and you really care about putting that shirt on.
‘And I just really want you guys to know how much it means to everyone back here, that you go out there, you give it your all, you play for the shirt, play for each other, play for the country because everyone’s behind you.
‘We really care about what you’re going to do.
‘You need to know also that the England team has a target on its back, everyone wants to beat us. So when you step on that pitch, they’re going to want to be after you.
‘And you guys have got all the talent in the world, you’re a great squad, but talent alone won’t win the tournament.
‘So whatever you can do draw on those experiences in other parts of your life, growing up, other inspirations, other people, family members, whatever it is, get that in you right now, build up on it, pump yourself up because you never know when you might need it.
The Prince of Wales speaks with England’s Ollie Watkins at St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales speaks with schoolchildren during a visit to St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales speaks with England’s Ollie Watkins at St George’s Park today
Ollie Watkins and Harry Kane pose with schoolchildren during a visit by William today
England players Luke Shaw and Jordan Pickford during a visit by the Prince of Wales today
The Prince of Wales grabs a coffee with Harry Kane at St George’s Park today
‘I’ll be watching every single game. We get very much into it, really enjoy it and just the best of luck guys.’
William then went on to present each player with a special shirt which will be worn during the tournament. Each box contained the history of the number they were wearing and a personalised reminder of how they fell in love with the game as youngsters.
The box containing Kane’s No. 9 shirt also included a picture of the England captain as a boy with the Ridgeway Rovers Football Club logo, the Chingford club where his career started, and the words: ‘Harry Kane: All time goalscorer.’
Kane laughed when responding to the comments from Louis to eat double portions, saying: ‘I know. We’ve got to be careful with that. I don’t think the nutritionist was too happy with that advice, but it’s great to have the Prince here.
‘He’s such a big supporter of us and has been to a few camps now before the major tournaments and it just gives us extra motivation.’
Kane, 30, said that he expected William to be in touch with the squad throughout the tournament and planned to fly over to support them in person.
The Prince of Wales speaks with schoolchildren during a visit to St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales and England manager Gareth Southgate at St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales speaks with schoolchildren during a visit to St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales speaks with schoolchildren during a visit to St George’s Park today
Prince William makes a presentation to England captain Harry Kane at St George’s Park today
Kane said: ‘He loves it. I think he’s going to try to get out for some games if possible if the schedule allows. He’s a big football fan, I think he’s made that pretty clear watching Aston Villa and watching England now.
‘He’ll be watching them. His kids are obviously big fans as well, now. They’ll remember their first, second tournament as I did when I was younger.
‘He’ll be in touch, especially with the manager and some of the players and making sure that we’re doing a good job.
‘We know how much it means to the country to the fans and that’s everyone from the royal family to the local shopworker, the whole nation comes together at this moment.
‘We feel a responsibility to try and make them proud so the only way we can do that is to go out and give everything for this badge that we wear.’
William was given a cup of tea from a St George’s coffee van before he joined Southgate, Kane, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Jill Scott, the former England women’s player, to walk to the park’s David Beckham Pitch to watch a tournament played by local schoolchildren.
William told some of the children he was ‘never good at scoring’, so often played in defence and spoke to pupils about their love of football.
William Bailey, 11, who was playing for the Port Vale Foundation, showed Kane and William his unique goal celebration dance. The prince replied: ‘It’s got everything.’
William, 11, said: ‘He told me he loved my name – and my dance!’
Zakh Poots, Port Vale Foundation football coach, said: ‘We were here and met Prince William for the 10th anniversary at St George’s Park (in 2022) and we brought him oat cakes from Stoke on Trent. He remembered the oat cakes and said how much he had enjoyed them last time, which was fantastic!’
William is a passionate Aston Villa fan who often takes his son Prince George to see games – including a handful of times over the past season.
The England men reached the final of Euro 2020 only to lose on penalties to Italy, while they were eliminated by France in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Before leaving St George’s Park to fly to Germany, Kane discussed the tournament, saying that he was excited.
Kane brushed off Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Wembley against Iceland, saying: ‘We’re looking forward to it. Lot of excitement. I think (morale) is OK (after the Iceland game).
The Prince of Wales (second from right) speaks with Jill Scott (left), Harry Kane (centre) and Ollie Watkins (right) during a visit to St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales and England manager Gareth Southgate at St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales speaks with schoolchildren during a visit to St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales (second from right) speaks with Jill Scott (left), Harry Kane (centre) and Ollie Watkins (right) during a visit to St George’s Park today
The Prince of Wales gets a coffee during a visit to St George’s Park in Burton upon Trent today
England captain Harry Kane during a visit by the Prince of Wales to St George’s Park today
The shirt presented to England captain Harry Kane by the Prince of Wales today
‘We haven’t really had chance to be with each other since it. Of course we were disappointed after that game. We spoke after that game – there’s things that we need to be better at, for sure.
‘But I’m sure we’ll debrief that today or tomorrow once we arrive and look back at the game and see how we can improve. So morale’s good. The main thing is the tournament and those games. Although no one ever likes losing, we’ve got to get on with it.
The Bayern Munich player said: ‘I might know a few more German words than the other boys but not too many more. We’re staying on a golf course so I’m sure some of the lads will try and sneak out [to play golf] but I’m sure that will be on a recovery day or something like that.
Kane dismissed the suggestion that there might be any demons left to slay after the World Cup. He said: ‘I don’t think so, I think it’s part and parcel of the game.
‘I’ve shown the club and the country, I’m looking to get better. I’m more just eager to get started again. These tournaments come round so quick and for me they are just the best four or five weeks that you can be involved in football.
‘I’m just excited to hopefully go one step further than what we did in the last one. That’s our aim. Ultimately we’re going to be judged if we win it or not.’
Speaking about the fact that the England squad managed to secure the hotel that the German team had wanted, Kane said: ‘I think they were staying there and they went to their base camp and they wanted to come back but eventually we got in so a good job by the guys here (at the FA).
‘We like to be out of the way, we like to be in our little bubble. When you’re in these camps it’s about being a family and being together.’
