Prince William admits ‘disappointment is part of life’ in candid new comments
Prince William has sat down for a candid conversation with England football stars Harry Kane and Declan Rice about their shared love of the game, and the life lessons it has taught them.
MORE: Prince William reveals the one thing the Queen banned him from doing on his wedding day
William and the sportstars shared their fondest football memories and the ways it has bolstered their mental wellbeing during the 25-minute video – available on YouTube.
During their conversation, Aston Villa fan William credited football with teaching him that “disappointment is a part of life”. He also highlighted the work of Shout, the free and confidential 24/7 text messaging service for people struggling with their mental health.
MORE: Prince William’s love token to Kate Middleton at university that proved he was smitten
He said: “You learn by playing a number of times and many other things in life that disappointment is part of life and how you handle it is crucial.
“Handling some of those really disappointing England results in the past, that was hard, I found that really difficult, because again the same euphoria that we had comes crashing down. You feel high and all together, and then normal life just gets on again.”
MORE: Prince William and Kate’s student meals at St Andrew’s might surprise royal fans
William added that he still has a “lot of friends” that he met through playing football in his youth.
“Some of the greatest friendships are born from playing games and being pushed together in slight adversity,” he said.
The Prince also recalled playing four simultaneous games of football with his entire set at school – around 60 pupils – using multiple balls.
MORE: 14 rules the royals have to follow
He told Declan and Harry: “The sheer size and scale and just the fun of everyone running around chasing each other, I loved it. I was a defender, I was stuck at the back and told to just tackle.”
William further revealed that he looked to former England defender Rio Ferdinand for “inspiration” when he was playing football at school. He joked: “He was ahead of me just a little bit as time went on.”
The YouTube episode is hosted by Kelvyn Quagraine, and was organised by football media company Copa90 with the Royal Foundation.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to The Royal Explainer newsletter to receive your weekly dose of royal features and other exclusive content straight to your inbox.
Source: Read Full Article