Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Prince William jokes with Peter Crouch about using mock snipers in football

The Duke of Cambridge has joked about getting a protection officer to pose as a mock sniper during a football game as a child on Peter Crouch’s podcast.
Recorded before lockdown at Kensington Palace, BBC Radio 5 Live show That Peter Crouch Podcast saw the future King regaling the ex England striker with tales of kickabouts when he was at school – and using alternative methods to ward off a troublesome player.

William said that when he played ‘everyone wanted to break my legs’, before revealing his tactic for getting one up on an opponent. He laughed: ‘A long time ago, I got one of my policemen to take a laser pen out with them. And I got him to red mark, red dot one of the players.

‘I kept saying, “see, see what happened to you.” I was about 15 at the time I said, “see, he’s following you, following you.”‘

Crouch, laughing, responded: ‘Pretending to have a sniper on him?’ and William confirmed: ‘Exactly… it put him off for about, you know, 10 minutes.’

However, the duke admitted that his talents on the field were somewhat limited, referring to his defending style as a ‘fat knacker running around at the back, panting’.

In recent years, the father-of-three has expressed his love for the sport more as a spectator, with his passion for football club Aston Villa intensifying with age. He told Crouch and co-hosts Tom Fordyce and Chris Stark in the new episode that: ‘Since being a dad, without a doubt, football has become way more important to me than ever used to, it’s really weird. Like it’s changed a lot.

‘I need to go and be amongst other guys and kind of let out a bit of steam, shout a bit. Not abuse the referee – because I’m the president of the FA and I can’t do that – but in my head I am.’

During the relaxed conversation, which included the quartet enjoying beers and takeaway curries, the Duke also told of how he had a stag do in Blackpool, how Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is his go-to karaoke song and mentioned a pair of binoculars given to Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, as an early courtship present that she hasn’t let him forget: ‘It didn’t go well’, he explained.

‘Honestly, I have no idea why I bought her a pair of binoculars, it seemed like a good idea at the time.’

When asked about how he coped with homeschooling Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Prince Louis, the Duke said he discovered Kate had ‘super patience’ while he did not, but they worked well as a ‘tag’ team with his wife stepping in when things went wrong.

He added: ‘But I have to say I’m a bit embarrassed about my maths knowledge, I mean I can’t do a year two maths so that was quite an eye-opener as well.’

Crouch previously appeared on the BBC’s documentary A Royal Team Talk alongside William in May last year, when he talked about how the verbal abuse he suffered as a young man affected his mental health.

William, who has repeatedly highlighted mental health, also discussed his Heads Up campaign. He remarked: ‘We all have mental health, and we all have to stay mentally fit.

‘It’s a strength to talk about your mental health, it’s not a weakness. You know, if you’re not feeling well, something’s bothering you, talk about it – it’s not a problem.’

It comes amid claims that William’s brother Harry, the Duke of Sussex, was angered by William’s ‘snobbish’ attitude, after he referred to Meghan Markle as ‘this girl’ and advised him to ‘take as much time as you need’ to get to know her.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×