Aston Villa: Dan Bardell reacts as Alan Shearer moots new England role for Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins is unlikely to start for England despite what Alan Shearer said, according to Dan Bardell.
Writing on The Athletic website on 5 March, the pundit said the 28-year-old has been “sensational” for Villa this season after scoring 22 goals and laying on 10 assists in 41 appearances.
After revealing that Watkins has never shared the pitch with Harry Kane, he insisted that the forward should start alongside the Three Lions captain at the upcoming European Championships.
Although Bardell believes the Villa star has already booked his place on the plane for the tournament in Germany, he doesn’t believe it’s Gareth Southgate’s style to play such an attacking system.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said: “I think if England are chasing a game, I think it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that you could see the two of them paired together to finish a game, but that’s just not Southgate’s style to play them together.
“I like Southgate, but I think he’s very much a creature of habit and I don’t see him looking to reinvent the wheel and do something different. I saw that Alan Shearer team in The Athletic. It was a very attacking lineup and I don’t feel like that’s Southgate to me.
“I don’t think it’s beyond the realms of possibility that they end a game playing upfront together, but I do agree that he’s on the plane now.
“I think he’s made himself an almost certainty and I don’t think Southgate cannot pick him. I think he’ll be the tournament backup to Harry Kane.
“I can’t explain how good I think he is and how highly I rate him. Emery has to take some credit for the way he’s refined his game, but Watkins also has to take credit for how he’s adapted his game.
“As long as he stays fit, he’ll be on that plane and it would be brilliant to see him representing his country this summer. It would be brilliant for the Villa fans and brilliant for him and his family because he’s come up the hard way through the leagues and made himself one of the best operators in the Premier League.
“It’s quite a unique story what he’s done and he deserves it because he comes across as a really humble and nice guy as well.”
Ollie Watkins certain for England place amid Aston Villa
There doesn’t seem to be much doubt about the fact that Watkins will be on the plane for England this summer after his form for Villa.
But as Bardell points out, it’s probably unlikely that he’ll start alongside Kane as Southgate tends to play with just one natural striker.
The forward should still be at the very least the first option off the bench, though, and there are certainly much worse positions for him to be in heading into an international tournament.
In other Aston Villa news, a journalist has mooted a high-profile exit after a £110million+ development has emerged.
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