Ollie Watkins was England’s super-sub who beat the Netherlands in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 and the Aston Villa striker hopes to make a similar impact at this summer’s World Cup
Ollie Watkins is waiting for his chance (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Ollie Watkins insists every member of England’s squad is “important” to their World Cup campaign. England manager Thomas Tuchel has made it clear that he wants to rely on “finishers” in matches, making substitutes more important than ever.
Aston Villa striker Watkins knows he is behind Harry Kane in the pecking order, but he was also the last-gasp hero in a dramatic Euro 2024 win that saw England beat the Netherlands and reach the final.
Tuchel came on as a substitute against Croatia, with Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rodgers all playing in the win. “I think everyone is important on this team,” Watkins said.
“I was really excited about our team and the players coming off the bench. In the 60-70 minute period he was making changes to all three of his front players. He brought in Rassie, Bukayo, Morgan and then finally Jed Spence as well.”
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“It’s exciting to bring in fast-paced players who want to run forward and score more goals. Everyone has a big role to play.”
Watkins paid tribute to England captain Kane, but said he could offer something different if needed. “With H, I think his performance speaks for itself, his goal record speaks for itself, and the way he plays is very unique,” Watkins said.
“I can’t play like him because he’s so smart. I stick to what I can do, so I don’t try to imitate him or anything like that. I really stick to my strengths.”
Watkins also hinted that Saka had trained ahead of England’s match against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday, which is a big boost. Saka missed training on Saturday and ran his own program.
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Ollie Watkins scored the winning goal against the Netherlands as a substitute (Image: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Watkins added: “He hasn’t missed a day of training so that’s good. He’s a player of the highest quality and as we all see, he brings quality to the pitch for Arsenal and for England.”
“In major tournaments it is very important to manage small problems. I have only played with him a few times, but I feel that he always makes the right decisions. That is the most difficult thing in football.”
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