Britain's Prince William showed "great warmth" towards leukaemia sufferer and retired soccer star Stiliyan Petrov when they met on Saturday (30.11.13).
The Duke of Cambridge paid a visit to Villa Park, the home of his favourite soccer team Aston Villa, in Birmingham, central England, for the first time to see them play, and the club's Chief Executive, Paul Faulkner, has revealed the 31-year-old royal took time out to speak to Villa's former captain about his cancer battle.
He told the club's official website: "It was great to see him chatting to Stan Petrov at half-time, also. There was great warmth there between the two of them.
"They had met before but I think, as a supporter, the duke also knew what Stan had been through and knew what a role model he was for the football club - and football in general."
Paul also dismissed speculation William is simply a "fair-weather fan" of the claret and blues, insisting the future king knew his stuff when it came to discussing club matters on and off the pitch.
He added: "He was very interested in the team, the players and how everything is evolving under the manager. There was genuine interest and excitement.
"He clearly follows the team and you could tell he has done that for a good number of years.
"He is certainly not a fair-weather fan. He is a true supporter.
"It was just great to see him here. It was a historic moment for the football club too. There was a nice connection between him and the club. We hope to have him back before too long.
"He spoke of real appreciation when he left. He loved the stadium. He could sense the history, tradition and majesty of the ground.
"He told us he liked what the club stands for and the way the club carries itself in its dealings, particularly the community efforts.
"You could tell he admired the heritage and dignity of the club. He was very up-to-date with everything going on here - the club, the team and the efforts off the pitch in the community."
While William couldn't inspire the team to victory as they played out a 0-0 draw with Sunderland, he left a "very good impression" on the club's staff.
Paul explained: "He was very nice to deal with, very genuine.
"The young lady working in the corporate box told me that as he left he made a point of saying, 'Thank you, Jess' to her. She was stunned.
"He knew her name and took time to thank her.
"He's a genuine guy. He left a very good impression."
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