Hollywood star Tom Hanks has thrown his weight behind Aston Villa's historic Europa League final in Istanbul, joining Prince William and David Bradley in backing the club. Villa are 90 minutes away from a famous triumph as they face Freiburg in Istanbul with thousands of fans in the city.
Hanks Sends Voice Note of Support
Hanks, famed for his roles in Bridge of Spies and Castaway, is a Villa fan and sent a voice note of support to the BBC. "This is Tom Hanks in the United States of America, thinking one thing and one thing only, go Villa," he said.
Other Celebrity Supporters
Hanks is not the only actor to get behind Villa's cause to land their first European trophy since winning the European Cup in 1982. Harry Potter actor David Bradley, who plays Argus Filch in the films, has been watching Villa since 1994. "I was with the Royal Shakespeare Company for many years, but we always had Saturday matinees, that was in those days where all the games played on Saturday," he said. "I never got a chance to go to Villa Park, but as soon as my contract finished in 94 I got tickets for a game against Everton."
Prince William, the future king of England, will also be cheering on Unai Emery's side having watched their 4-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest in the stands. He celebrated with the team and the manager post-match with Unai Emery saying: "He was in the dressing room with the players and with me, and of course, he is so happy as well." Tweeting this afternoon, the Prince of Wales said: "Come on Villa! Good luck in tonight's Europa League final."
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