Ollie Watkins Aston Villa
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Aston Villa’s quest for European glory continues as they prepare to face Bundesliga side Freiburg in the Europa League final at Besiktas Park, Istanbul. The club’s last major European triumph was 44 years ago when Peter Withe scored the decisive goal against Bayern Munich. Now, Villa aims to end a 30-year trophy drought, with their last major win being the 1996 League Cup.
Ollie Watkins said: “I haven’t actually (seen Withe’s winner), but I’m going to. I’m going to look back at it in these next few days before the final as inspiration. I think Peter Withe is a legend. He came in (to Bodymoor Heath). I’ve met him quite a few times. He came into the training ground last week to watch. It’s amazing that he can do that and that we can have a legend around the place.”
Villa secured their spot in the final after a commanding 4-1 aggregate victory over Nottingham Forest. Under the guidance of Unai Emery, the team also clinched Champions League qualification by defeating Liverpool 4-2, ending a challenging period of one win in five league games. This achievement allows Villa to concentrate fully on the upcoming final.
Ollie Watkins continued: “It’s been hard to focus on our Premier League form. So now we’ve done what we set out to do. We’ve achieved Champions League football and now we’re going do all we can to win on Wednesday. We were meant to do it in that fashion (on Friday night) and for it to be in the last home game as well makes it even more special I think.”
Watkins has been a pivotal figure in Villa’s resurgence, particularly after being left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad in March. Since then, he has scored nine Premier League goals, including a decisive double against Liverpool, bringing his season tally to 14. His performance has reignited his prospects for the World Cup squad.
The striker Ollie Watkins added: “Like I said, everything happens for a reason. I think me being left out of the England squad was a little bit of a blessing. I could go back, refocus and think hard about what I need to bring to the team and what I needed to do to put myself back in contention. I think when you’re just not thinking about anything, everything you do seems to work. That’s the mindset I’m in right now.”
As Villa prepares for the final, Watkins’ form and mindset will be crucial to their success. Drawing inspiration from past legends like Peter Withe, the team hopes to bring European silverware back to the West Midlands.
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