Jamie Carragher insists Ollie Watkins is England's Harry Kane back up, as in-form Aston Villa...

23 Oct 2023

"Carragher: Watkins England's Kane Backup, Villa Striker Talks Euro Target And Relationship With Smith"

Max Carter Keall wrote a blog post for the online newspaper Mailonline.

The latest blog post was released on October 22, 2023, at 8:06 PM and was later updated at 8:59 PM on the same day.

Jamie Carragher has affirmed that Ollie Watkins, the Aston Villa star who is currently in good form, should be the backup for Harry Kane, the captain of England.

During Villa's 4-1 win over West Ham, Watkins made an outstanding finish at the near post, bringing his total number of goals to five in this season's Premier League.

He has shown outstanding performances, resulting in his selection for the England national team during the recent International break.

During England's friendly match with Australia, the striker scored the lone goal. Former Liverpool defender, Carragher, has selected him as the next player to take over if Harry Kane gets injured.

Watkins talked about his connection with ex-manager Dean Smith, calling him his 'father'.

Ollie Watkins executed a magnificent finish from a challenging position to increase his number of goals to five in the league.

After the game, Watkins had a conversation with his ex-manager, Dean Smith, and it was apparent that he held Smith in high esteem.

Jamie Carragher gave a lot of praise to Watkins and predicted that he could replace Harry Kane.

During an interview with Sky Sports, Carragher expressed his opinion that the striker plays an important part in the team's success, even if he doesn't score goals. Carragher noted that as the game progresses, the striker begins to make more runs behind the defense. When standing next to him, Carragher noticed that he appeared taller than expected, which adds to his presence on the field in addition to his impressive speed.

If Harry Kane experiences an injury, he will be the primary centre-forward for the England team.

He and Moussa Diaby seem to be working together. The arrangement allows him to stay further forward and see the whole field, with the focus being on moving the ball towards the center. He doesn't have to go towards his own goal, as he can open up gaps between the opposing team's lines.

After the game, the Villa striker spoke to Sky Sports and expressed his desire to continually progress as a player. He also shared his fondness for his previous manager, Smith.

In a playful manner, Watkins quipped that he frequently sends a message to Dean expressing gratitude, as he wouldn't have had the opportunity to be a part of Brentford and Villa had it not been for him.

In my opinion, Dean feels like a paternal figure to me! My aspirations include scoring more than 20 goals and participating in the Euros. These are my objectives and what I am striving for, but I am aware that my performance at the club level needs to be outstanding in order to achieve these goals.

The Christmas season can be challenging for us. We have many matches to play in Europe, and several players have gotten injured. Nevertheless, we must persist despite the obstacles. It's not about how well you begin, but how well you end up.

Smith commented on his ex-player, saying: 'He's an exceptional individual who is highly appreciated by his teammates. He prioritizes the needs of others over his own, and that's what makes him so appealing.'

Smith had a conversation with the present coach, Unai Emery, who has successfully changed the Aston Villa team.