Ellie Watkins, wife of England striker Ollie Watkins, has left Saudi Arabia with their two children amid Houthi missile strikes that have shaken the country. Watkins moved from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal in the summer in a move understood to be worth £20 million per year, tax-free.
Family returns to UK amid conflict
Ellie has chosen to return to the UK with their daughter Amara (5) and son Marley (3) following the re-escalation of conflict between the Yemen-based Houthis and the Saudis. In October, 13 people were killed by a Houthi air strike on Riyadh's airport, and two others lost their lives in another attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The Saudis have since been operating reduced services in the wake of the missile attacks.
In a post 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 potential England call-up
There is no suggestion Watkins will be following her back to the UK in the near future, unless he is called up to the England team for the upcoming international break. Watkins may be feeling confident of a call-up from Thomas Tuchel, having begun the season by scoring five goals and contributing five assists in just eight Saudi Pro League matches. Tuchel also called up Ivan Toney to last summer's World Cup, despite him moving to Saudi side Al-Ahli.
Regional instability disrupts sporting events
For Watkins' team, it's business as usual. However, instability in the region has forced the Asian Cup, scheduled to run from January 7 to February 5, to be postponed due to security concerns. Saudi Arabia was the intended host of the competition, but it has now been pushed back to December 23, 2027 to January 21, 2028.
In a 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 country has also called off the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition event. Moreover, F1 is also expected to move its end-of-campaign races, which take place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, although no confirmation has been issued.
