The Duke of Cambridge met with the first team and boss Slaven Bilic in the latest part of his campaign to get people talking about mental health.

The Villa-supporting royal put local rivalries to one side as he chatted openly with players about their experiences and the pressures that come with being a professional supporter.

Albion welcomed the Prince to their training ground where he spoke with several first-team players, as well as members of the youth team.

The Duke, who is the President of the FA, is a passionate campaigner on mental health and trying to get more men talking about it.

He has spoken to footballers to try and get an understanding of how easy players find it to talk about mental health problems and if there is enough support in the game.

It is part of the Heads Up campaign which aims to encourage more people - particularly men - to feel comfortable talking about mental health and not try and keep their concerns buried out of shame or embarrassment.

By using high-profile footballers it is hoped ordinary people will find the strength to talk about their own problems.

Prince William shared a poignant chat with striker Charlie Austin, whose cousin took his own life aged just 25, about depression and other mental health conditions, and spoke at length with other players including Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and long-serving midfielder James Morrison, who retired in the summer.

The Duke was also keen to get an insight into how players cope with criticism on social media and spoke to Jake Livermore on the training pitch about the issue.

Livermore said he felt the current Albion team, who sit top of the Championship, were one of the most tight-knit groups he has ever been part of.

The Prince also discussed mental health with school-age players part of Albion's academy and the importance of feeling able to talk about it.

The Baggies have introduced mental health sessions to help equip their young players for their future careers, using senior players to pass on their experiences of dealing with life’s ups and downs.

The Duke wasn't allowed to leave without a special gift, as, despite supporting rivals Villa, he was presented with two Albion shirts featuring the names of two of his children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

'Let's talk about mental health'

There were plenty of laughs and warm handshakes as Prince William met the West Bromwich Albion players - but the Duke was there to talk about a serious subject.

The Black Country was the latest stop on the Prince's tour to get footballers talking about mental health.

He knows it is an issue many men can feel embarrassed or ashamed to confront and by getting footballers to open up the Duke hopes ordinary people will too.

For all the money and the fame that comes with being a footballer, Prince William, who is President of the FA, was keen to highlight the challenges they also face.

In a male-dominated environment, where there is perceived to be a pressure to be strong and keep up with the often cutting dressing-room banter, it's understandable why many footballers keep their anxieties hidden.

The visit to West Brom was part of highlighting the Heads up Campaign which aims to encourage men to talk about mental health issues.

The Duke of Cambridge shook hands with Baggies chairman Li Piyue and chief executive Mark Jenkins as he arrived at the training ground on Birmingham Road, Walsall, congratulating them on the previous night's 4-1 victory over Bristol City which took them back to the top of the Championship.

It was not lost on anybody that as an Aston Villa supporter the Prince was on enemy territory and a few light-hearted comments were shared about this.

Mr Jenkins told how club captain Chris Brunt had "played well against Villa", in the past.

Midfielder Brunt, who has played more than 400 games for the Baggies, replied: "I wasn't going to mention that."

It seems Albion have not given up all hope of persuading some of the Duke's family to choose them instead, as they presented him with a tongue-in-cheek gift - Baggies shirts for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

William then greeted boss Slaven Bilic and the pair shared a private chat about mental health and the Heads Up campaign before the Prince was taken to meet the players out on the training pitch.

The Duke asked Albion midfielder Jake Livermore whether he felt comfortable talking about mental health. He said that the club was "pretty good" around the issue and because the group was so close it was easier to talk about such issues.

Gareth Barry told the prince players had become "more aware" of how to better handle mental health, while midfielder Jake Livermore said "it's definitely going in the right direction".

Bilic raised the point that many players feel like they have to be "macho men", while William also enquired about the pressures of social media, particularly after a defeat or bad performance.

The Prince shared how it "worries" him that players are "getting added criticism from people, unfairly".

Barry, who at 38 is in the twilight of his career, said: "That's how football has changed from when I started. The young lads have got to deal with that (social media)."

William was then led into the gym where he sat down for a poignant chat with striker Charlie Austin, fresh from scoring at The Hawthorns the night before, and recently-retired James Morrison.

Austin opened up about the loss of his cousin Callum McDonald, who took his own life aged just 25 following a period of depression.

Speaking afterwards to the Express & Star, Austin said he believes the fact someone with Prince William's profile is talking about mental health will have a huge impact.

He said: "He's the future king so it's incredible for someone of that stature to get behind what is actually a massive part of life.

"It's a massive thing in everybody's life in any way of work.

"If he is going to drive it it is only going to get bigger and bigger. How can anybody not pay attention?"

And with perceptions of footballer's having everything, Austin said it was surprising to be asked, as a footballer, about his own wellbeing.

"Not many people ask that question so from someone like him it was quite refreshing."

Boss Slaven Bilic said: "From all the clubs he picked our club to come and visit us and have a very good and deep chat about those issues that are really important for young people.

"Football is the most popular sport in the world and the most influential one. The royal family and Prince William are also extremely popular and extremely influential.

"So it's a great mixture and I think that, especially the young people, who have their idols in players, they'll listen more to a player than their parents or teachers.

"That's why we have the privilege and at the same time a big obligation to talk to young people and spread that very important information."

Finally, the Duke of Cambridge sat down with school-age members of Albion's academy to ask their perceptions of mental health and encourage them to feel comfortable talking about it.