A superstar mother and a family man: Ollie Watkins, the man behind that goal

Following an intense first half in which the Netherlands scored an early goal to take the lead, Harry Kane later equalized with a penalty kick. The pace of the game had then started to decrease as the Dutch team started to control the game. It looked like extra time was on the horizon. Fans at pubs all over the country were getting ready for another 30 minutes of play, preparing to grab another drink. Speculations about the game going into penalty kicks were starting to circulate.

Suddenly, at the last minute, 28-year-old Ollie Watkins, who had entered the game as a substitute just seven minutes earlier, received a pass from Cole Palmer. With Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij on his back, Watkins smoothly turned and fired a powerful shot into the far corner of the goal. It was almost 90 minutes into the game, the clock reading 89:59.

Watkins netted a goal in the final minutes of the game against the Netherlands.

What happened next was maybe the most touching moment of all. While many soccer players have a rehearsed celebration planned for after scoring a goal, everyone watched as Watkins ran across the field with wide eyes, in utter shock and disbelief as he slowly realized that he had helped his team reach the Euro final.

"I've been anticipating that moment for weeks," Watkins expressed during an interview with ITV following the game. "It's been a journey of determination and effort to reach this point in my career. I'm overjoyed."

Watkins is happy about England's win against the Netherlands

The FA through Getty Images

I promised Cole Palmer that he would assist me in scoring a goal today, and I am extremely confident that it will happen. The excitement and adrenaline rush that I am experiencing is truly unparalleled.

"I can't even express how I feel," he said. "Scoring evokes certain emotions, but this time it was something else. It felt like time was moving slowly as I ran over to my teammates to celebrate."

In a competition where unexpected heroes emerged from England, here comes another one. Watkins had only participated in 20 minutes of play for England before he was substituted in by Southgate during the 81st minute, earning him the title of "super sub".

The player from Devon, who was the most expensive signing for Aston Villa in 2020, is not as well-known as some of his more famous teammates on the England squad. While others may grab the headlines, Watkins has quietly worked hard off the field.

Learn all about Ollie Watkins, the man scoring the goals, from his famous mother who is a superstar singer to his two cute kids.

Devon Boy's Superstar Singer Mom

After the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final, Ollie Watkins was seen cheering with his mother, Delsi-May Watkins, in the stands.

Raised in the coastal town of Torquay in Devon, Watkins spent his childhood with his three brothers, Richie, Dale, and Jordan, as well as his sister Charlotte, being raised by their single mother Delsi-May. According to his mother, Watkins has always been obsessed with football. He attributes much of his success to starting playing the game at a very young age - only nine months old.

Delsi-May explained to the Times that back in the day, they would take the children to a place where there was a small device. You would insert a 2p coin, and a small rubber ball would come out. The child would stand there and you would drop the ball, and the child would kick it. It was impressive because he never failed to hit the ball. At that time, he was just nine months old.

"He always stuck to his dream of becoming a professional footballer whenever I asked him about his future aspirations. He briefly dabbled in skateboarding and BMX-ing, but ultimately his passion for football never wavered. Every time he went out, he always managed to come back with a new football. I even have a photo of the numerous footballs Oliver collected while playing outdoors."

As a young fan of Arsenal, he went to South Dartmoor Community College in Ashburton, after becoming a part of Exeter's U11 academy.

Even though Watkins was passionate about sports from a young age, if he had chosen to pursue his mother's path, he could have found himself in the public eye for a completely different reason.

Delsi has been a singer with a successful career since she was 18 years old, and she is highly recognized in the south Devon area. Performing under the stage name Ruby Washington, she entertains audiences on cruise ships worldwide, in theaters, holiday parks, clubs, and hotels. Watkins grew up listening to soul music, with artists like Sammy Davis Jr, Erykah Badu, and Whitney Houston playing in the background at home.

Being a single mom, Delsi frequently had to take her kids with her to her performances. When Watkins started practicing at Exeter's academy, it became challenging for her to balance her job with driving him to his training sessions.

Watkins was raised in Torquay, Devon

"I had to rush to school, pick them up, grab some food for them, put them in the car, rush over to Exeter during busy traffic, and then make sure I got back in time for me to go to work," she explained to the Times. "Sometimes I was working nearby, sometimes I wasn't. If I was performing in a theater in Babbacombe [Torquay], that was okay. If I was in Cornwall or somewhere else, MJ's dad would pick them up and take them home."

The reason why Watkins sang his heart out at Aston Villa when he joined in 2020 might be because of his mother's profession. Holding a water bottle as a microphone, he confidently belted out Luther Vandross' Never Too Much, impressing everyone with his flawless performance.

Delsi, who resides in Devon, was in the middle of washing her car when Watkins phoned to inform her that he had been selected to play for the England team for the first time. "I'm grateful he called when I was in the car, because I screamed so loudly," she shared with the Times. "If I had screamed like that on the street, people would have thought I needed to be taken to a psychiatric hospital! I am still in disbelief. I feel incredibly proud."

"I didn't believe him," she continued in a conversation with Torbay today. "I am still surprised. He has always known what he wants to achieve. He handles life easily and doesn't get stressed. Yet, he stays down-to-earth."

Avoiding The Spotlight, Fame Doesn't Matter

In contrast to some of his England teammates who have gained fame during international tournaments, Watkins has chosen to stay out of the spotlight.

He is not on Twitter, and his 674,000 followers on Instagram (which will likely increase after his performance on Wednesday) are much smaller compared to teammates like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have 34.5 million and 17.1 million online audiences respectively.

"I am happy with my current situation," Watkins shared with the Independent in the previous year. "Whether it brings me fame and a large following on Instagram or not, it doesn't really matter to me."

A professional at his company advised Watkins to utilize social media to increase his reputation, but it's not something he is really enthusiastic about. “I don’t want to share anything that isn't genuine and true to who I am,” he explained. “I know there's a lot of money to be made on Instagram. But I have always believed that I should just focus on being a good football player and everything else will fall into place. If I'm scoring 30 goals a year and a company wants to partner with me, it will be because I'm performing well on the field.”

He knows the negatives that can come from being in the spotlight too much, which he started to notice when he joined Aston Villa.

"I used to shop at Sainsbury's without any issues, but when I tried to do the same at Villa, it was a different story," he explained. "I had my headphones on and people would do a double-take and ask, 'Is that him?'. Once one person asked for a photo, it would quickly escalate to two or three, making it difficult to shop in peace. I was so frustrated when I got home. I told my partner that I'm never going out again. Since then, I avoid doing the shopping altogether."

Instead of seeking approval from social media, Watkins values his family the most. He shared with the Times that his proudest moment was when his two-year-old daughter saw a photo of him in an M&S shoot and called him "Daddy."

"Oliver doesn't talk much," his mother told the Times. "We have a family chat group, and he never boasts or anything, we really have to ask him everything. He's very modest and I admire that about him. He's very casual about the fact that he's pursuing something he enjoys. He thinks it's normal, but it's not. I'm extremely proud."

"I'm not the most outspoken person in a group," he said. "It usually takes me some time to get comfortable and open up. I tend to be more reserved."

Man And Family: Girlfriend, Two Kids

When the game ended on Wednesday, Watkins quickly headed towards the stands, where his girlfriend Ellie Alderson was cheering him on. They were then photographed embracing and kissing each other affectionately.

Watkins has been in a relationship with the interior designer from Berkshire since 2018. However, they have mostly kept their relationship private and have never shared publicly how they first met.

But both have posted pictures of each other on Instagram - even after England's semi-final, when Alderson wrote a touching message to Watkins on her Instagram story, saying: "You deserve it!" Alderson has also shown glimpses of her life after finishing university with a degree in interior design.

In 2020, the year Ollie moved to Villa, he and his partner had their first child, a daughter named Amara May Watkins. Then, last year, they had their second child, a son. Ollie announced the news on Instagram, saying, "Our baby boy is here. We feel so grateful! Welcome Marley Watkins. 17.4.23," with a blue heart emoji. Ollie posted several photos of his son, including a cute picture of Amara meeting her new little brother.

It is obvious that Watkins prioritizes his family – he has been spotted pushing his two children around Sainsbury's during his time off, and has expressed that he prefers spending time with his family over going out to parties. Hopefully, he can continue to impress his family on Sunday night.