Charlotte is 'really good in goal' William tells England's women's football team
Princess Charlotte is a mean goalie, her dad Prince William told England's top women footballers yesterday.
The Duke of Cambridge was presented with football shirts for each of his three children when he paid a visit to the team's training ground St George's Park ahead of this summer's UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 competition.
And if the England women's team are on the hunt for a future star goalie, they need look no further than Kensington Palace.
"Charlotte wants me to tell you she's really good in goal... a budding star for the future!" the Duke told the delighted women's team.
"She said, 'Please can you tell them that', and I said, 'Okay I'll tell them.'"
Read more: Cambridge children shine at Platinum Jubilee: Best George, Charlotte and Louis photos
Read more: Charlotte praised for soothing Louis during Trooping the Colour procession
William, a huge Aston Villa fan, has clearly passed on his love of the game to his children, as he also revealed that Prince George plays for a local team and gets "very competitive".
Meanwhile, as he posed for a picture holding the football shirts which had the children's names and ages emblazoned on the back, he joked: 'It will look like they've signed for the England team.'
The women's game has grown in popularity in recent years, with England reaching the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup in France in 2019.
Watch now: William practices with England Women ahead of Euro 2022
Read more: Duchess of Cambridge on her future as Princess of Wales: 'I'm in good hands'
The great World Cup run captured the imagination of fans, and almost 80,000 people packed into Wembley to watch the Lionesses' 2-1 defeat against Germany in November 2019.
Now Lionesses are aiming for greater success under manager Sarina Weigman. Former England player Alex Scott, now presenter of Football Focus, has praised the greater recognition the women's game is now receiving.
"Throughout my time being involved in football, I have certainly seen an increase in support and respect for the women’s game," she told Versus. "Especially in the last couple of years there have been some major steps towards equality for women’s football."
