Ollie Watkins feels omission from March England camp was ‘blessing in disguise’

Ollie Watkins described his omission from England’s March training camp as a “blessing in disguise”, and a setback that ignited a remarkable run of form for the Aston Villa striker.

His initial hopes of securing a spot for the World Cup 2026 appeared to be fading after he was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan however, Watkins responded emphatically, netting 11 goals in the next 12 games.

That prolific spell was instrumental in guiding Villa to the Europa League title as well as securing a coveted top-four finish in the Premier League.

Reflecting on the period, Watkins stated: “To be fair, before the March camp, I had started to pick up my form. I scored an important goal and had some big performances against Lille in the round of 16.

“So my form was starting to pick up, I think it was a blessing in disguise. Sometimes, when something gets taken away from you, you realise how important it is, and it gives you that fire in your belly to come back and show people what you can do.”

He added: “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.”

The season concluded on a high note for the 30-year-old, who hopes Villa’s European success can serve as a springboard for further achievements this summer.

“It’s been a long time since the club had brought back a trophy, and we did that,” he said. “You know, 44 years, fans have been waiting for that a long time, and obviously we succeeded, and it’s an amazing feeling to do that. To come into the England camp off the back of a strong end of the season, and winning a trophy, there’s nothing better.”

Watkins also acknowledged his role for the upcoming tournament and is ready for the challenges the World Cup will bring.

“I think everything that I had pictured, really, and imagined is coming to play,” he said. “Physically I’m the best I’ve ever been, and obviously my form as well in front of goal is really good at the moment, so I’m feeling really strong.

“Everyone’s got a part to play in this competition, whether it’s early stages, later stages, we just have to be ready, and we’re all working together as a team to achieve something special.”

Watkins will be competing with Ivan Toney, as an alternative to Harry Kane, with both players having made an impact off the bench at Euro 2024.

“I think it’s good, me and Ivan are different players, and you need that, you need to have versatility,” Watkins commented.

“At the end of the day, Ivan’s a proven goalscorer, he’s shown it throughout all his career. Even in the last Euros, there were times where he came on when the team needed him, and then I had my moment, obviously, in the semi-final as well. I think it’s amazing that we’ve got Ive here as he’s a clinical goalscorer.”