Ellie Watkins, wife of England international Ollie Watkins, has returned to the UK with their two children after Houthi missile attacks rocked Saudi Arabia. The move comes just months after Watkins completed a £50million transfer from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal, a deal reported to be worth £20m annually for the player, tax-free.
Family Decision Amid Regional Conflict
Ellie flew back to the UK with daughter Amara (5) and son Marley (3) amid renewed hostilities between the Yemen-based Houthis and Saudi Arabia. In October, 13 people died in a Houthi air assault on Riyadh's airport, and two others died in a separate strike at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saudi authorities have since been running reduced operations following the missile bombardments.
In a message on TikTok, Ellie explained her decision: "We've had a bit of a plot twist. I have come back to the UK for, hopefully, a little bit. I don't actually know when. There's just a little bit of conflict and things going on over in Saudi and we basically decided just to stay here until it calms down. I felt like I needed to do that for the kids so there is some form of normality until we can get back out there and all be together."
Watkins' Form and Future
There is no indication that Watkins will return to the UK anytime soon, unless he receives an England call-up during the forthcoming international break. The striker has hit the ground running this season with five goals and five assists in just eight Saudi Pro League outings, potentially boosting his chances of earning a place in Thomas Tuchel's squad. Tuchel previously handed Ivan Toney a spot in last summer's World Cup squad despite his move to Saudi outfit Al-Ahli.
Regional Instability Disrupts Events
For Watkins' club, it remains business as usual, but regional instability has forced the Asian Cup, due to run from January 7 to February 5, to be postponed on security grounds. Saudi Arabia had been earmarked as the tournament's host nation, but the competition has been pushed back to December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028.
In an official statement, the Asian Football Confederation said: "The Organising Committee for AFC Asian Cup approved to reschedule the flagship national team tournament in light of the current exceptional circumstances arising from developments in the region, including substantial logistical complexities and travel disruptions. The new dates of the tournament will be presented to FIFA for approval. Exceptional circumstances have been created for the organisation and delivery of the Competition as originally scheduled, making the postponement necessary in the interest of all participating teams, officials, spectators and other stakeholders."
The nation has also cancelled the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition tournament. Furthermore, F1 may relocate its season-ending races, scheduled for Qatar and Abu Dhabi, though no official announcement has been made.
