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Ollie Watkins has shared that missing out on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad earlier this year became the turning point that sparked the best form of his career. The Aston Villa forward, whose World Cup hopes were uncertain after being omitted from the March camp, believes that the setback reignited his determination to prove his worth at the highest level.

The snub that reignited his passion

The Aston Villa star opened up about the period when his international future looked doubtful, calling his exclusion from the England squad in March a “blessing in disguise.” Tuchel had decided not to include him for the high-profile friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, a move that many felt might end Watkins’ chances of making the World Cup squad.

Reflecting on that disappointment during England’s pre-World Cup training camp in Florida, Watkins admitted that the experience served as a much-needed wake-up call. He said, “To be fair, before the March camp, I had started to pick up my form. I scored an important goal and had some big performances against Lille in the round of 16. So my form was starting to pick up, I think it was a blessing in disguise. Sometimes, when something gets taken away from you, you realise how important it is, and it gives you that fire in your belly to come back and show people what you can do.”

Rewarding Tuchel’s trust with trophies

The 30-year-old striker responded to that disappointment with a spectacular run of form, netting 11 goals in just 12 matches. His clinical finishing played a key role in helping Unai Emery’s side secure a historic top-four finish in the Premier League and lift the Europa League trophy. Watkins credits his mental toughness for his resurgence and his ability to reclaim a place in the national team under Tuchel ahead of the summer tournament.

“The manager always had faith in me,” Watkins said. “So, it is nice I could repay him with the performances and goals and to show I deserved to be here. I felt in the big moments, when the team needed me, I stepped up and came up with some big goals and some big performances.”

The fight for England’s number nine spot

Despite his impressive form, Watkins continues to face strong competition for playing time behind captain Harry Kane. Ivan Toney remains a close rival for the role of England’s impact substitute, following a remarkable season in which he scored 42 goals across all competitions for Saudi club Al-Ahli. Toney also made his mark in Euro 2024, coming off the bench three times, including providing a crucial assist in the 2-1 round-of-16 win over Slovakia. Watkins, who famously scored the decisive goal in the semi-final against the Netherlands, believes that having a variety of attacking options only strengthens the Three Lions’ chances on the global stage.

“Everyone’s got a part to play in this competition, whether it’s early stages, later stages, we just have to be ready, and we’re all working together as a team to achieve something special,” Watkins said about the squad’s depth. Speaking about his dynamic with Toney, he added, “I think it’s good, me and Ivan are different players, and you need that, you need to have versatility. At the end of the day, Ivan’s a proven goalscorer, he’s shown it throughout all his career. Even in the last Euros, there were times where he came on when the team needed him, and then I had my moment, obviously, in the semi-final as well. I think it’s amazing that we’ve got Ive [Toney] here as he’s a clinical goalscorer.”

Watkins’ memorable season and international impact

Watkins has built an impressive international record with 20 caps for England and six goals to his name. His resilience in key moments was evident during Euro 2024, where he made three substitute appearances and scored the dramatic late winner in the 2-1 semi-final victory over the Netherlands. Domestically, the 2025–2026 season was a landmark one for the forward, as he helped Aston Villa secure their first major trophy in 44 years with a Europa League triumph, while registering 21 goals across all competitions during the campaign.