In the upcoming Champions League contest, Aston Villa will face Bayern Munich, aired live on Virgin Media Two and TNT Sports 1, at 8 pm this Wednesday. Striker Ollie Watkins delivered a frank analysis of his interaction with Harry Kane, his fellow England team-mate whom he aspires to dethrone. Despite Kane’s superior credentials as England’s top scorer and an undeniable first choice, Watkins has proven his mettle with his decisive last-minute goal against the Netherlands, securing England’s spot in the Euro 2024 finals during a match in Dortmund three months ago.
This highlight reel moment marks the pinnacle of Watkins’ career thus far, having journeyed from being on loan at Weston-super-Mare, to competing in the Champions League. The upcoming fixture, which is a revisit of the 1982 European Cup final that Aston Villa won thanks to Peter Withe’s goal, sees Watkins and Kane likely going head-to-head. Bayern Munich and Kane arrived in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Kane’s participation at Villa Park is still uncertain, despite Bayern’s positive expectations following an ankle injury he suffered during Saturday’s match against Bayer Leverkusen. Max Eberl, Bayern’s sporting director, provided encouraging news regarding Kane on Tuesday, though he was cautious not to confirm the striker’s involvement. Kane’s impressive current season run of 10 goals in seven matches, including a quartet against Dinamo Zagreb, speaks for his performance.
When queried about their relationship on England duty, Watkins sidestepped to highlight the underlying competitive essence of their association. Acknowledging the competitive aspect, Watkins added there’s no ill-will between them, branding their relationship as amicable. They both are fighting for their spots, with Watkins stating his objective to be on the field, just like Kane.
The duo spent over a month together, before and during the European Championship held in Germany.
“Harry is widely recognised as an exceptional player, his abilities are renowned and his performances over previous seasons have demonstrated his prowess. Clearly, he possesses a formidable threat, but ultimately, Bayern, his team, remains amongst the most accomplished teams competing,” commented Watkins. “His goal scoring records speak for themselves and adequately illustrate his talent. His achievement stems from years of dedication and hard work and, indeed, he’s truly earned his commendations.”
Reflecting on his earlier days at Villa, Watkins revealed that he hadn’t anticipated the opportunity to play in the Champions League, especially after Unai Emery was inducted into the team management back in October 2022.
He confessed, “Not for a second did it cross my mind. At that point, we were languishing towards the tail end of the Premier League. It was inconceivable to me that we might wrap up the 2022-23 season at the seventh spot and then subsequently climb to fourth by 2023-24. The credit for such a dramatic transformation surely goes to Emery and the entire team. He’s managed to overhaul our performances entirely, both as individuals and collectively as a club. It’s an outcome I could only dream of.” – Guardian