In a recent interview with The Athletic’s 1874 Aston Villa podcast (subscription required), renowned reporter Gregg Evans was full of praise for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins when he said (transcripted by This is Futbol), “I think Villa are really onto something with him, I think he’s the real deal, I think that he is going to score a lot of goals for the club.
“I think his teammates are really enjoying playing alongside him because he’s creating space for them, he’s helping them flourish.
“Villa have spent a lot of money on him, but I think over the years he will prove to be good value for money.”
Watkins’ Incredible Start To His Premier League Journey
Watkins has made a fantastic start to life at Villa Park after finding the back of the net on five occasions and picking up one assist in six matches on all fronts. The Torbay-born marksman has been a delight to watch in the Premier League thus far following his incredible hattrick versus the reigning champions of England, Liverpool earlier this month.
The former Exeter City player has been a top performer for the Villans over the past few weeks by averaging 3.3 shots, 1.7 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per game in the English top-flight. However, he has been a bit sloppy with his ball-distribution after making just 59.7% in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
The early signs have been quite promising from Watkins, but he will now have to prove that he is not just going through a purple patch. Discovering some consistency in terms of his goal-scoring could also help Watkins build some confidence to go on and reach for the stars during his time at Villa Park.
What Does The English Forward Bring To The Table?
Watkins has got electric pace in his locker which he can use to make some dangerous runs in the decisive end of the field. He likes to play on the shoulders of the last defender and is also an accurate header of the ball in the final third.
The English attacker has a high work-rate and is slowly transforming himself into a decent finisher up top. However, he needs to work on improving his upper body strength if he intends to add more goals to his game in the future.
Will Watkins Be A Success Story At The West Midlands Club?
Watkins has shown what he is capable of with his performances in the Premier League before the international break. Still, it remains to be seen whether he can continue producing such impressive numbers in the coming months when the fixtures come thick and fast in England.
For now, Watkins has built a solid foundation for having a successful career with the Villans, so Dean Smith should encourage him to push harder in the training ground as he has what it takes to become a future star at Villa Park.
