Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins started on the bench in England’s shock Nations League defeat against Greece on Thursday night.
Watkins has started the season for Aston Villa in fine form, scoring four goals and supplying three assists in nine appearances.
Despite performing well for Unai Emery and Harry Kane being left out due to injury, he wasn’t selected to start for England against Greece, with Lee Carsley opting for Jude Bellingham to play the striker role instead.
Villa fans were unsurprisingly left baffled at this decision, as Watkins has become a brilliant striker for the Three Lions, cementing his name into the history books after scoring the winner in the Euro 2024 semi-finals against the Netherlands.
Ollie Watkins grabs assist as England lose vs Greece in the Nations League
England were poor on the night against Greece and the visitors took a surprise lead in the second half through Vangelis Pavlidis.
Carsley then turned to Watkins to change the game from the bench, replacing Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon to take his position up top.
The Villa marksman made his customary piercing runs in behind and one of them led to an assist, pulling the ball back for Bellingham to slam the ball home in the 87th minute.
Whilst that would have sparked hope of a late winner, Pavlidis struck his second of the night to hand Greece a famous victory at Wembley in the Nations League.
England were poor for most of the game and the visitors took full advantage but if Carsley had started with Watkins, perhaps the match would have ended differently.
Ian Wright and Roy Keane on Ollie Watkins
Speaking about the decision to leave Watkins out of the starting XI, both Ian Wright and Roy Keane questioned what the Villa man possibly had to do to start.
“The way he’s played and the impact he made in the Euro’s,” Wright said on ITV.
“You know this season he’s playing Champions League football. You’re actually behind England’s greatest goal scorer ever and you’re thinking ‘when will I get a chance’.
“You feel like this may be it because Harry Kane’s not in and then the new manager is trying to instil something of his own and he leaves you out. Obviously from Ollie Watkins point of view, it’s very disappointing.”
“He’ll be fuming,” Keane added. “The form he’s in for Villa, he’s been fantastic. He’s been waiting for that chance and what he has to hope, he gets an opportunity in the second half. Be professional, come out with the right attitude and take your chance if you get them.”
Watkins certainly took his chance to shine from the bench by grabbing an assist, and although it wasn’t enough to grab a win for England, he taught Carsley a lesson for leaving him out.
Hopefully, the Villa star will start getting the recognition he deserves internationally because it must be frustrating.
