Unai Emery has thrown his support behind Ollie Watkins to regain his place in the England national football team following his impressive display in Aston Villa’s 2-0 victory over West Ham United.
Watkins found the back of the net in the second half after John McGinn had opened the scoring, delivering the perfect response to his recent omission from the England squad.
The Villa boss praised the striker’s mentality and urged him to keep pushing for a return to international football.
“He’s a fighter. Three years ago, he was not involved in the national team, and he deserved to be there,” Emery said.
“Now again, he’s out, but he must recover his fight, like he did today.”
Emery highlighted Watkins’ all-round performance, noting his physical presence, hold-up play, and ability to threaten in the box.
“He was winning duels, holding up the ball and getting in the box… he scored and did a fantastic match,” he added.
Watkins admitted he expected to miss out on the latest England squad due to his inconsistent form, but remains confident in his ability.
“Everyone wants to play for their country but I expected that because my form has not been that great,” he said.
“I know what I can do and when I put on an England shirt I feel like I have always performed well.”
The win marked a timely return to form for Aston Villa after a difficult run, strengthening their push for a top-four finish.
Emery praised his team’s response, saying:
“When you are not winning everything looks more difficult… today we recovered our way.”
Meanwhile, Nuno Espirito Santo admitted West Ham United fell short on the day as their relegation concerns deepened.
“It was not a good performance… we expected much more from ourselves,” he said.
With momentum back on their side, Villa will hope Watkins can maintain his scoring form and push his way back into England contention.
