Prince William has said that “disappointment is part of life” and revealed how football taught him to ride out the blows.
The Prince of Wales was appearing in a video ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, featuring England and Spurs striker Harry Kane along with West Ham captain and England midfielder Declan Rice.
The trio sat down with football media company Copa90 to chat about the challenges football fans face to mental health – from those at the top of their game to the fans in the terraces.
“You learn by playing a number of times and many other things in life that disappointment is part of life and how you handle it is crucial,” said William.
“Handling some of those really disappointing England results in the past, that was hard, I found that really difficult, because again the same euphoria that we had comes crashing down. You feel high and all together, and then normal life just gets on again.”
Kane and Rice both admitted that early in their careers, they were not seen as the “best” players, but self-belief and hard work got them to where they are today.
But self-belief doesn’t always come easy, and even William, the future monarch, said he’s prone to the occasional feeling of self-doubt.
“It’s interesting that difference between self-belief and self-doubt and what kind of route your life takes,” he said. “Self-belief is so crucial, but self-doubt is lurking on both sides of everyone’s lives, no matter what walk of life you’re in.
“If you take a wrong path or something happens that’s out of your control, you can end up in the self-doubt quite quickly, and things can get much harder.”
The royal also shared how he made friends playing football in his youth, revealing he was usually a defender on the playground and “was stuck at the back and told to just tackle”.
“Some of the greatest friendships are born from playing games and being pushed together in slight adversity,” he said.
Prince William also took the opportunity to highlight the work of Shout, the free and confidential 24/7 text messaging support service that provides someone to turn to when people may be struggling.
If you are struggling to cope and are in need of support:
- you can text SHOUT to 85258 from anywhere in the UK to start a free, confidential conversation at any time of day or night
- you can talk to CALM on 0800 58 58 58 or www.thecalmzone.net/get-support (5pm-midnight)
- for information and support on all aspects of mental health visit mind.org.uk