Aston Villa striker, Ollie Watkins has put a large part of his success down to former manager Dean Smith, who signed him twice.
Watkins signed for Aston Villa in 2020 and has gone on to be a huge success in the Midlands.
He signed for Villa following a 25-goal season in the Championship for Brentford. This tally saw him win Championship Player of the Year.
His move to Villa Park didn’t come cheap as the Villains shelled out over 30 million.
What has Ollie Watkins said about Dean Smith?
Smith was responsible for signing Watkins with Brentford and then with Villa. He clearly had faith in him to become the player he is today.
Smith joined Villa in 2018 and went on to become one of the most loved managers in recent memory in B6.
In his four years at the club, the former Brentford boss made plenty of signings. It is safe to say Watkins is one of the success stories.
The Villa number 11 has admitted he always speaks to his former manager: “I always text him and say I owe it to him.
“Because I wouldn’t have been at Brentford. I wouldn’t have been at Villa if it wasn’t for him showing faith in me”
It is clear how much he puts it down to the coach as to where he is now.
Unai Emery’s impact
It must be said, that no matter how good Watkins was under Smith, Unai Emery’s tutelage has seen him take off.
Since the Spaniard took charge at Villa Park, the striker has been involved in 27 goals across just 33 appearances. 18 goals and nine assists is only beaten by Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland.
This stat comes despite not scoring in 12 Premier League games to end last season and start the current.
Smith’s belief and Emery’s setup have helped to create Aston Villa’s bagsman as we know him today.
