On Sunday, Prince William took time off dad duty and set off to cheer on his favourite football team, Aston Villa, as they fought to secure their return to the Premier League. Thankfully for him, and other die-hard fans, Aston Villa won with a 2-1 play-off final victory against Derby at Wembley – and the Prince couldn't help but excitedly celebrate.
Pictures and even videos of his celebration have since gone viral, and many are loving his new "bromance" with John Carew, who sat next to him during the nail-biting match and hugged him following the win.
© Photo: Getty Images"It's official John Carew and Prince William have a bromance," one Twitter follower noted. Another one said: "I'm still in awe of the fact that John Carew is mates with Prince William."
MORE: Why Kate Middleton and Prince William fans will be disappointed next week
Others were baffled as to how the two knew each other and ended up in the same box: "News still leading with the European elections when the burning question of the day remains unanswered. Why was Prince William sat with John Carew?" Another one hilariously added: "Someone give me a 10,000 word oral history of the Prince William - John Carew bromance. Did they plan to sit together again? Did Carew sort the post-match plans? I need to know."
© Photo: RexWell, it seems that Prince William and John, a former Villa striker, have actually known each other for a while. Speaking to Soccer AM last year about meeting the royal, John explained: "He was in Norway a few months ago and I got invited to a royal dinner at the castle with other ambassadors of sport," he said. "I did well in my home country, you know!
READ: Which royals are royal godparents? From Prince Harry and Prince William to the Queen
"He's a big football enthusiast," he added. "We spoke about football a lot, mainly Villa because he's a huge Aston Villa fan."
And it's not the first time the duo have teamed up to support their team. They attended Villa's clash against Cardiff together last season. John revealed: "We decided to go and support our team before the end of the season. He invited me to join and it was a great honour.
"He's very enthusiastic and he really loves his football. I'm proud because I'm a Villan and so it was good to watch the game together."
