Prince William treated to surprise visit from sporting royalty Paul Gascoigne at Pret A Manger

The Prince of Wales had a surprise visit from sporting royalty Paul Gascoigne at a Pret A Manger.

During a visit to the Bournemouth branch of the chain as part of Prince William's major campaign to end homelessness, England football legend "Gazza" turned up and greeted him.

Excited onlookers watched the extraordinary exchange as the pair kissed on the cheek and had a friendly catch up.

Footage shows Gascoigne repeatedly attempting to grab William's attention as he chats to people in the large crowd, before a man taps the Prince of Wales on the arm, points to his left and says: "It's Paul Gazza."

"Is it actually you?" William replies, turning his attention to the former midfielder and holding out his hand to shake, before the pair kiss on the cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to see you," Gascoigne replies with a smile.

The Prince of Wales asks how he is, to which Gascoigne replies: "A lot better, getting there."

"I've been keeping an eye on you from afar," says William, telling him: "It's good to see you."

William visited the branch in Bournemouth town centre on Thursday to discuss plans to expand The Pret Foundation’s programme to help 500 people experiencing homelessness get jobs at Pret shops around the country.

After meeting the footballer, William said it had been a “very interesting morning”, adding: "We even bumped into Gazza".

Across an almost 20-year career as a professional footballer, Gateshead-born Gascoigne played for England, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers.

Following his retirement from football, the father-of-three has publicly shared his struggles with his mental health, which led him to turn to drugs and alcohol.

During his career, he made more than 50 appearances for the England national team and was part of the 1996 European Championship side that famously lost to Germany in the semi-finals.

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