Manchester United transfer target Ollie Watkins has admitted he was 'fuming' after being left out of Aston Villa's starting line-up in favour of Marcus Rashford. The 29-year-old striker was only a substitute for both legs of Villa's Champions League quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last season, with Rashford given the nod by manager Unai Emery.
Emery had taken a liking to Rashford after signing him on loan from United in January and believed he was better suited to start against the French side. However, Villa lost 5-4 on aggregate, and Rashford failed to score in either match. Watkins received just 25 minutes across both legs, sparking his frustration.
Four days after the second leg, Watkins responded in emphatic fashion, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 Premier League thrashing of Newcastle United. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, he said: "I played 20 minutes against PSG in both games, so I'm not going to lie - I was fuming I wasn't playing. I let him know that."
Watkins added: "He's the manager at the end of the day. I respect his decision. But I'm not one of the players happy to sit on the bench. It's something I haven't experienced before, missing out on the biggest stage." Emery defended his decision, saying: "It was my selection, tactically... I prefer angry."
Now, Watkins could become teammates with Rashford again, as Manchester United are reportedly making a concerted effort to sign him. Villa are said to value the England international at around £60million.
