Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins secures England place in Euro 2024 final
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins said he was "lost for words" after the substitute secured England's place in the Euro 2024 final.
Watkins signed for Villa in 2020 for a then club record fee of 28 million pounds.
The forward has spent most of Euro 2024 sat on the bench but the semi-final game, his second appearance in the tournament, was his time to shine.
After Harry Kane’s spot-kick cancelled out a superb Xavi Simons opener, Wednesday’s semi-final against the Netherlands looked set to go to extra time just like the Slovakia and Switzerland matches earlier in the knockout stages.
But Southgate’s bold decision to replace captain Kane and Phil Foden with Watkins and Cole Palmer in the 81st minute proved a masterstroke.
Palmer fed his fellow substitute to turn and hit a wonderful 90th-minute winner, sealing a last-gasp 2-1 comeback victory and a place in a second successive European Championship final.
Watkins said: “I’m lost for words, really. When you score there are emotions that come through your body but this is a different feeling.
“It was slow motion when I was running over to the boys and celebrating."
“I didn’t want to get off the pitch at the end because I wanted to soak it all in because it doesn’t happen very often really."
Speaking to ITV News Central last year Watkins told Dan Salisbury-Jones that Villa boss Unai Emery had set him the target of getting back in the England Squad.
"There were a number of goals he set as a target for me and challenged me to get back in the England squad and they are two targets I'm looking to hit", he said.
"I've just got to take it game by game and see what happens, there are international matches in the summer so all I can do is do my best for the club and see where that takes me", he added.
The forward's goal even got a royal seal of approval after the Prince of Wales, who is a big Aston Villa fan, took to social media to congratulate Watkins.
Prince William wrote: "What a beauty, Ollie! Congratulations England! #EURO2024 Finalists."
Watkins’ life changed forever in Dortmund in what was just his second appearance of a challenging tournament for Aston Villa’s main man.
He said: “Recently, I’ve got a little bit frustrated. I don’t like to be on the bench. I’ve had the best season of my career.
“I’ve had a few messages from my friends saying be patient. The amount of people I’ve had message me today saying I’m going to score tonight when I come on is ridiculous.
“Obviously they put it out into the universe so hopefully they can do the same for the final or even give me the lottery numbers!”
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