There were many highlights during the Lioness's victory during the Euros final at Wembley on Sunday night, but all eyes were on one of the players.
It couldn't have been clearer how much it meant to veteran midfielder Jill Scott, who was captured in the BBC's coverage swearing at a German player. The 35-year-old was also part of the England team that lost in the Euro 2009 final against Germany 13 years ago.
The nation saw the player share a sweet moment with the Duke of Cambridge when she joined her current Lioness teammates to collect her winners' medal after finally beating Germany. Prince William is the president of the English Football Association (FA) and was on hand yesterday to present the victorious team with their medals and to present the trophy, reports Mirror Online.
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But when it came to Scott's turn to be congratulated by the future King, the pair shunned the formal handshake and embraced in a big hug. The midfielder has an amusing history with the senior royal, which has turned into a running joke after a mishap that left Sunderland-born Jill taking out the senior royal.
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She previously said: "It stems back to about 10 years ago when we did a charity event and I slipped and side-tackled him and actually wiped him out. The running joke whenever he sees us is, ‘No yellow cards this tournament Jill!’.”
A few years later, during a kickabout at Kensington Palace, William, 40, jested that he still had a scar on his leg from the accidental tackle. In 2020 the 35-year-old received an MBE for her services to women’s football and the prince sent her a handwritten letter, saying: “Keep up the good work.”
Speaking on her BBC podcast, Jill Scott’s Coffee Club, she said: “That’s probably the best thing I have ever received. You know what, next time I see him I might say, ‘Can I come to Buckingham Palace?’ He’s a great guy.”
The royal and the midfielder both share a love for Aston Villa, who Jill is currently playing for on loan until the end of the season. She has previously been described in the FIFA technical report into the 2011 Women's World Cup as one of England's four outstanding players
Meanwhile, at the end of the match, William sent a rare personal tweet from his and Kate's @KensingtonRoyal Twitter account, where he congratulated the Lionesses on their win. It said: "Sensational. An incredible win @lionesses and the whole nation couldn't be prouder of you all. Wonderful to see history in the making tonight at Wembley, congratulations! W."
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