Prince William thinks Gareth Southgate is a ''legend''.

The 38-year-old royal has admitted to being a huge fan of the England coach, who led the Three Lions to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia in 2018.

The President of England's Football Association said: ''Gareth is a legend, I really like Gareth and I think he's doing a great job with the England team.''

Prince William also encouraged Southgate to select Jack Grealish - who plays for his beloved Aston Villa - in the next England squad.

He quipped: ''That's not to say that conversations haven't been had where I give him a little nudge and say: 'Why isn't Grealish in the England squad?'''

The royal fell in love with Villa after attending one of their games when he was just 11, and he's confessed to revelling in the stadium atmosphere.

He told 'That Peter Crouch Podcast': ''I sat there among all the Villa fans and I loved it. I thought the atmosphere was great.''

The Prince was also determined to avoid the temptation of supporting teams ''like Manchester United or Chelsea''.

He shared: ''I felt a real connection with the club. I felt Villa was a very proud Midlands club and it felt very special.

''Only in the last few years have I got a grip of Villa as my real team and I watch them a lot and I get into the stats.''

Meanwhile, Prince William kept himself occupied during the coronavirus lockdown with home-schooling and trying to keep his kids entertained.

The royal - who has Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, with The Duchess of Cambridge - said: ''I found it pretty testing, trying to keep the children engaged and interested in some sort of work. It's been an interesting few months.

''I've learned my patience is a lot shorter than I thought it was! That's probably the biggest eye-opener for me, and my wife has super patience.''