Ollie Watkins has revealed that being dropped by England manager Thomas Tuchel was a 'blessing in disguise' that ultimately secured his place in the squad for this summer's World Cup. The Aston Villa striker was omitted from the final two friendlies in March, casting doubt on his chances of making the trip to the United States. However, his response was remarkable, scoring six goals in his last five games of the season.
Dropped but Not Defeated
Watkins admitted that the snub ignited a fire within him. 'Before the March camp, I had started to pick up my form and scored an important goal and had some big performances against Lille. My form was picking up. It was a blessing in disguise,' he said. 'Sometimes when something gets taken away from you, you realise how important it is and it puts fire in your belly and to show people what you can do. It was a case of proving to myself what I could do.'
The striker credited Tuchel for maintaining faith in him. 'The manager always had faith in me. So, it is nice I could repay him with the performances and goals and to show I deserved to be here. I felt in the big moments, when the team needed me, I stepped up and came up with some big goals and some big performances.'
Physical Peak and Trophy Momentum
Watkins believes he is in the best physical shape of his career. 'I feel like, physically, I am the best I have ever been and my form in front of goal is really good at the moment so I am feeling really strong and everyone has got a part to play in this competition whether it is early stages or latter stages.'
He finished the domestic season on a high, winning the Europa League final with Aston Villa—the club's first trophy in 44 years. 'The club brought back a trophy for the first time in 44 years. The fans have been waiting for a long time for us to do it and we succeeded,' Watkins said. 'It is an amazing feeling to do that. There is nothing better to come into the England camp on the back of a strong end to the season. We have to be ready and we are all working together as a team to achieve something special.'
Reflecting on his journey, Watkins added: 'Everything I have pictured and imagined has come into place. I am very thankful I have been given this opportunity but I have worked very hard for this.' He believes the trophy win provides an extra boost for England as they prepare for the tournament.
