Ollie Watkins will step up for Aston Villa under Unai Emery after Champions League news
Ollie Watkins is ready to step up for Unai Emery after Aston Villa secured Champions League qualification on Tuesday night (14 May).
Tottenham Hotspur fell to a 2-0 defeat against Manchester City which meant that the Villans were guaranteed fourth spot.
This is a huge achievement given that the majority of players have never played in the competition before with some, like Watkins, coming through the lower leagues in England.
Ollie Watkins ready for Aston Villa step up in Champions League
The Englishman began his career with Exeter City where he made four appearances between 2013 and 2014 before being loaned to Weston Super Mare.
After winning Young Player of the Year with Exeter in 2017 he made a move to Brentford in the Championship.
There he achieved the Player of the Season award while scoring 26 goals in his final campaign with the Bees [FotMob].
He has proved to be an unbelievable piece of business for the Villans in his four seasons in the West Midlands.
Watkins has had a superb season in the Premier League where he has scored 19 goals and contributed to an additional 13 across 36 appearances.
This has seen him register 2.90 shot-creating actions, 0.35 assists and 0.54 goals per 90 across the last year, according to Fbref.
Against Liverpool, he was superb despite not getting on the scoresheet. With a 73 per cent pass accuracy and three duels won, he kept Villa ticking at times [FotMob].
He has proved to be a top asset for Emery’s side this campaign and with his sights set on the Euros with England, he may even improve next season.
With sides like Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich potentially turning up to Villa Park next season, Watkins has a chance to prove himself on the biggest stage.
He has shown his ability to improve over the years and there is no reason why Emery can’t get more out of him.
In other Aston Villa news, Unai Emery could activate Michael Olise release clause at Crystal Palace in a shock summer transfer.
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