Ollie Watkins sends three word message as Aston Villa confirm contract agreement
Ollie Watkins has spoken out after Morgan Rogers penned a new deal at Aston Villa.
Rogers has signed a contract extension with Villa to bring him up to the level of the top earners at Villa Park.
The England international has been a virtual ever-present in claret and blue, with Rogers’ form causing links to Chelsea over the summer.
A release clause in Rogers’ fresh terms at Villa could halt any interest from elsewhere with the hope of keeping him in B6 for the long term.
The Rogers announcement has gone down well with the claret and blue faithful, with teammates like Watkins also making their feelings known.
Ollie Watkins reacts to Morgan Rogers contract extension
Watkins has struggled for form at Villa this season, having scored just one goal across 16 appearances in all competitions.
The striker has even been left out of the upcoming England squad, seemingly due to his form, despite Thomas Tuchel’s denial ahead of the camp.
His goalless streak continued against Bournemouth, with his frustrations clear for all to see as his teammates grabbed four goals in a huge win.
Watkins did still contribute as he won the corner that Ross Barkley ultimately scored the home side’s third of the afternoon.
This proved that the work rate is still there, and he has now proved that he is still a positive voice in the dressing room and a good teammate.
After Rogers shared his contract news on his personal Instagram, the striker was quick to leave a comment in support of his nation and club colleague.
He simply wrote, “Well deserved, brother.“
This can only be seen as a plus point for the number 11, as he continues to back his fellow Villa stars, even when out of form himself.
Watkins won’t join Rogers on England duty away from Aston Villa
The Villa bagsman has been a regular on the international stage for many years and deservedly so with his terrific record.
At the last EUROs, he scored the iconic semi-final goal against the Netherlands, sending the Three Lions to the final, but he has now been left out of the squad entirely.
Tuchel has suggested that this is solely due to injury, but given his terrible run of form, this feels highly unlikely.
The England boss said: “We understood and we could observe when we watched Ollie closely he is playing through discomfort. It simply did not make much sense to bring him into camp in this condition.
“So we opted to give him this break to get treatment and be back in full physical capacity and best shape to fight for a place again.“
Watkins will be forced to watch from home and see Rogers playing for his country, something which should only spur him on moving forward.
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