Usain Bolt urges Prince William not to raise his son as an Aston Villa supporter

Olympic champion Usain Bolt has urged Prince William not to raise the newest member of the Royal family as an Aston Villa supporter and to support a "winning team".

William is of course one of Villa’s most high-profile supporters and you would imagine that baby George will have no choice but to follow the claret and blue, especially given the club marked Prince George’s birth by sending him a team shirt with HRH 1 printed on the back.

Bolt however is pleading with the heir to the throne to allow his son support a winning team, saying that “it isn’t fair to put a child through that - especially not a prince.”

The Jamaican speed merchant is a Manchester United supporter, so it isn’t hard to figure what team he would suggest that George follows.

“The British royal family are great people - and I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some of them,” he told the Birmingham Mail.

“I want to give all my best to the Prince and Duchess on their firstborn.

“I just hope he doesn’t follow in his daddy’s footsteps and become an Aston Villa fan. It isn’t fair to put a child through that - especially not a prince.”

He even offered to take George to Old Trafford when he is old enough.

“When the prince is old enough, I’d love to take him to Old Trafford. It’s only fair he gets to support a winning team.”

Bolt, who has relatives in the Midlands, did pay tribute to the Birmingham people for their support, both last year before the Olympics when he was in camp and ever since, but his views on Villa are somewhat different.