Royal baby
A rare glimpse of Prince George arriving at the hospital to meet his new sister AFP/Getty Images

It seems that the British throne is not the only thing Prince William wants to pass down to his children.

The Duke of Cambridge has admitted that he is keen for Prince George and Princess Charlotte to be devoted Aston Villa football club supporters – just like him.

Speaking to Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker in an interview that will be broadcast ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final between Aston Villa and reigning champions Arsenal, Kate Middleton's husband revealed how he became a Villa fan, declared his pre-match nerves and talked about his growing family.

The 32-year-old royal, who is a president of English football's governing body, the Football Association (FA), said that should Aston Villa lose out to Arsenal, he would be subjected to taunts from his mother, the Queen, and his brother Prince Harry, both of whom are Arsenal fans.

"It's either going to be a very good day for me, or a very bad day," he quipped when he met the England Women's World Cup football squad at the National Football Centre in Staffordshire before they left to start their campaign in Canada.

If George and Charlotte do follow in their father's footsteps, they would join the growing ranks of famous Villa fans, like Hollywood star Tom Hanks, Prime Minister David Cameron and violinist Nigel Kennedy.

"It was fascinating to spend some time with the Duke of Cambridge and hear more about his passion for the game," Lineker said of the sit-down. "He is genuinely excited about the Cup Final and it's great that we can showcase his enthusiasm for Villa to the Match Of The Day audience."

Aston Villa will take on Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday (30 May).