Oliver George Arthur Watkins was born on 30 December 1995 and is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Aston Villa and the England national team.
23 Facts About Ollie Watkins
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Ollie Watkins is a product of the Exeter City academy and made his breakthrough at the club, winning the EFL Young Player of the Year award, before departing in 2017 for Brentford.
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Ollie Watkins made his debut for the England national team in 2021, scoring on his debut.
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Oliver George Arthur Ollie Watkins was born on 30 December 1995 in Torbay Hospital in Torquay, Devon.
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Ollie Watkins grew up in nearby Newton Abbot and attended South Dartmoor Community College in Ashburton together with Matt Jay and Jamie Reid.
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Ollie Watkins began playing grassroots football with the academy of Buckland Athletic at six years of age.
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Thereafter, Ollie Watkins joined neighbouring Newton Town FC for one season and he represented the Devon County Football Association alongside Sam Gallagher.
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Ollie Watkins joined Exeter City's academy at Under-11 level, having previously failed a trial with the club at the age of nine in 2003.
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Ollie Watkins rose through the youth ranks to sign a scholarship deal in 2012.
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On 8 December 2014, Ollie Watkins joined Conference South club Weston-super-Mare on a one-month loan.
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Ollie Watkins featured regularly for the team, scoring 10 goals in 25 appearances before returning to Exeter at the end of the season.
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On 9 August 2019, Ollie Watkins signed a new four-year contract with a one-year extension option.
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In joining Aston Villa, Ollie Watkins was reunited with manager Dean Smith, who had signed him for Brentford.
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On 6 October, Ollie Watkins signed a new contract with Aston Villa, committing his future to the club until 2028.
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Ollie Watkins was named in the Premier League Fan Team of the Season.
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On 18 March 2021, Ollie Watkins was named in Gareth Southgate's England squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against San Marino, Albania and Poland.
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Ollie Watkins subsequently scored his first England goal with his first shot on target in an England shirt.
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Ollie Watkins was named in the provisional England squad for UEFA Euro 2020 in May 2021.
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Ollie Watkins was recalled to the squad in October 2023 for the first time in 18 months and, on 13 October, started in a friendly with Australia, scoring the only goal of the match.
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Ollie Watkins was named in England's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024.
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Ollie Watkins has described himself as "a number 10", and in 2017 named Thierry Henry as his idol, saying "I try to base my game on his, by driving at defenders and looking to make something happen when I get the ball".
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Under Unai Emery at Aston Villa, Ollie Watkins began to play as a number 9, not only scoring but setting up goals for teammates.
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Ollie Watkins has been described as a complete forward and received praise for his attacking runs, speed, work ethic, finishing and versatility.