Prince William visited his favorite football team for this special reason

Prince William has always been an avid supporter of Aston Villa, and he even passed on his love of the game to his little ones. But instead of heading to the stadium for a football match, the Duke of Cambridge paid his favorite team a visit to learn more about its service work through the Aston Villa Foundation.

• Prince William ventured to Aston Villa High Performance Centre to discuss the outreach programs the foundation has taken on since the coronavirus pandemic. 

• While there, the Duke of Cambridge got to spend time with his favorite players, and even appeared a bit bashful according, to the Express. He also officially opened the new High Performance Centre at Aston Villa's Bodymoor Heath Training Ground.

• In more royal news, Princess Eugenie shared new photos of baby August for Jack Brooksbank's birthday. 

There are two things we know Prince William is passionate about: soccer and a good cause, so it's no surprise he fully supports Aston Villa. The English professional football club is well-versed in both athletics and philanthropy, which the Duke of Cambridge got to experience for himself. 

While he visited the stadium—chatting with team members and seeing his favorite athletes in a new setting—Prince William uncovered information about three community initiatives taking place through the Aston Villa Foundation: Villa Kitchen, Villa Vision, and TeamWork. Villa Kitchen is a project in which the stadium's kitchen provides meals for local residents in need; thus far, over 10,000 meals have been provided since January 2020. The appropriately named Villa Vision promotes eye health, particularly among children. The newest cause the foundation has taken on, TeamWork, aims to bring fans together to help improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Additionally, Prince William—who is the president of the Football Association—was on the premises to open the new High Performance Centre at Aston Villa's Bodymoor Heath Training Ground.

Considering what most attracted Prince William to this team was its camaraderie, per the Express, he is likely pleased to know that the team's efforts extend beyond the field. 

This news comes on the heels of Prince William's social media silence alongside the U.K. football community. 

"This weekend, we join the football community in the UK in uniting for a social media boycott from 3pm on Friday 30 April to 11.59pm on Monday 3 May, in response to the sustained abuse received online by players and many others in the football community," he captioned on Instagram.

Additionally, 15 leading European teams recently suggested setting up a new league, to which the Duke of Cambridge said on Twitter, "Now, more than ever, we must protect the entire football community – from the top level to the grassroots – and the values of competition and fairness at its core."

He added, "I share the concerns of fans about the proposed Super League and the damage it risks causing to the game we love."

See more of Prince William's Aston Villa visit on Instagram