Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins has a fight on his hands as he bids to earn a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad.
In truth, the flying Aston Villa hitman should earn that golden ticket to Germany, but Ivan Toney has other ideas.
On Tuesday night, England recorded a 2-2 draw against Belgium in a friendly, with the Brentford man scoring from the spot.
Even though Ollie Watkins has been one of the best players in the Premier League for Aston Villa this season, it still seems as though others are backing Ivan Toney to get the nod.
Gareth Southgate usually picks one striker, after Harry Kane – at Euro 2020 it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin and, at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Callum Wilson won that race.
Ivan Toney spoke about Ollie Watkins after his full England debut and stated that he is ‘supporting Ollie’, as he told Sky Sports.
The Brentford striker, who will visit Villa Park in a fortnight, added that it’s ‘friendly competition’ between himself and his England teammate.
Either way, Toney was asked if he feels he has taken his chance to make the final 23 for the European Championships after the performance against Belgium and he was pretty honest about it all.
Ollie Watkins v Ivan Toney
“I hope I did,” responded Toney. “I always try to work hard, even when I am not playing, I am supporting the boys and supporting Ollie. That’s my competition.
“But like I say all the time, it’s friendly competition. I wish him all the best every time he goes onto the pitch, but I felt like I did well today and I think I gave myself a good chance to be there for the Euros.”
Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa
All Watkins can do is continue to bang in the goals and also continue to showcase his creative side.
From his 41 matches in all competitions this season, he has 22 goals and 10 assists.
It’s fair to say, with Unai Emery’s side pushing for Champions League football and trying to win the Europa Conference League, there is every chance he has 50 goal involvements by the time the season is at an end.
One thing is for sure, he will get in and around it, and then, he has done everything he can and, if Southgate wants to ignore him, then it’s his loss.
