Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins deserves England call-up after sensational display v Newcastle
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has been called up for England in the past but his performances in 2023 mean that Gareth Southgate cannot ignore him.
The former Brentford forward was an important signing made by Villa and he’s proving to be worth the outlay.
His versatility of playing out wide and down the middle has seen him being used as a Swiss army knife by different managers and he’s now become one of the league’s in-form players.
In the 3-0 win against Newcastle at Villa Park on Saturday, 15 April, Watkins was once again the star of the show and earned three vital points for his side.
Jamie Carragher took to Twitter on Saturday to praise him for his efforts.
He wrote, “Unstoppable. What a performance from Ollie Watkins.”
With two goals and an assist, he played a role in all three goals and could’ve had a hat-trick if the third one hadn’t been marginally ruled out for offside.
Not just that, he proved to be a constant goal threat for his side, taking five shots on goal with four of them finding the target (80%).
Not only were these a team-high but nobody in Newcastle also could match these numbers as he looked like a grade above the rest of the players.
He also had more touches in the opposition box than any other player with 10 and he can be a valuable second option to Harry Kane.
With Southgate liking to play a 4-2-3-1 on occasion, there’s a chance of Kane playing as a shadow striker just behind the nine and Watkins leading the line.
Kane is eventually going to be that penalty box specialist while Watkins’ movement will not only create space for the other attackers but will also wreak havoc and be beneficial for the Three Lions.
Also, given Ivan Toney’s situation, in case he’s banned, that’s another player ruled out of contention and Watkins has hit form at the right time to book his berth in the Euro 2024 squad.
Apart from being a goal threat, he also works incredibly hard off the ball when his team is without possession and can give Southgate the option of playing on the counterattack as well.
According to Fbref, he makes 0.27 interceptions and 1.04 clearances – both stats put him in the 78th percentile of all other players in his position.
Having him in the Three Lions side is beneficial while chasing a game as well as while defending a lead and Southgate will be making a huge mistake if he doesn’t make Watkins a key part of the Euro squad.
In other Aston Villa news, a Villa sensation could miss up to nine months of action and faces the threat of a potential ACL retear as well.