{"id":36905,"date":"2026-06-22T20:37:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T20:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/england-star-ollie-watkins-enjoys-finisher-role-admits-harry-kane\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T20:37:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T20:37:21","slug":"england-star-ollie-watkins-enjoys-finisher-role-admits-harry-kane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/england-star-ollie-watkins-enjoys-finisher-role-admits-harry-kane\/","title":{"rendered":"England star Ollie Watkins enjoys ‘finisher’ role, admits Harry Kane"},"content":{"rendered":"


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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<\/h2>\n
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Ollie Watkins is waiting for his chance (Image: Richard Pelham\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Tuchel came on as a substitute against Croatia, with Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rodgers all playing in the win. \u201cI think everyone is important on this team,\u201d Watkins said.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Get the latest 2026 World Cup news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Watkins paid tribute to England captain Kane, but said he could offer something different if needed. \u201cWith H, I think his performance speaks for itself, his goal record speaks for itself, and the way he plays is very unique,\u201d \u200b\u200bWatkins said.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Will England win the World Cup? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.<\/p>\n

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Ollie Watkins scored the winning goal against the Netherlands as a substitute (Image: ADRIAN DENNIS\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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.”<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’<\/p>\n

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This article contains affiliate links and we receive a commission from any sales we generate from them. learn more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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From \u00a34.50<\/p>\n

sky<\/p>\n

Get the deal here<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sky is marking the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 20% discount on its entire range of glass TVs. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from \u00a34.50 a month when taken with a Sky TV and Netflix package.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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