Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Scoring for England was unbelievable – Watkins
FORMER Weston-super-Mare striker Ollie Watkins hailed his debut goal for England against San Marino as “unbelievable”.
The Aston Villa front man scored his first international goal with his first shot on target as the Three Lions thumped the minnows 5-0.
It must have felt a long way from his loan spell at Weston as a teenager when coming into professional football with Exeter City.
However, consistent goalscoring with the Seagulls and the Grecians, as well as at second-tier Brentford, has continued with Villa, earning Watkins his opportunity to play for England on Thursday night.
The Devonian was the first Exeter City graduate to play for England since Cliff Bastin in 1938, and he said that he was speechless after not only playing but scoring.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s what I’ve dreamt about to be honest,” Watkins said after the game.
“All day in the hotel I was just thinking ‘I hope I get a chance and just enjoy it, and get that opportunity to potentially score’ but I didn’t know that it would happen. I’m speechless.
“It’s been a good journey. I just feel honoured that I can come out here and pull on the shirt and get the chance to play with the players I’m playing with and even score on my debut. I couldn’t write it, I’m over the moon.”
On his chances of making the squad for this summer’s European Championship, Watkins said: “I’ve just got to take each game as it comes, focus on my club form as well, play consistently for Aston Villa and score there and help my team to push up the table and hopefully get into Europe and then see where we go from there.”
England boss Gareth Southgate, speaking about Watkins, added: “The first thing you saw was the reaction from the rest of the team. They know what it means for him. He’s settled in really quickly with the group.”
England play away to Albania in another qualifier tomorrow.