_(cropped).jpg) Watkins playing forAston Villa in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Oliver George Arthur Watkins | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1995-12-30)30 December 1995 (age 30)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Torquay, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Aston Villa | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Buckland Athletic | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Newton Town | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2014 | Exeter City | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Exeter City | 68 | (21) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | →Weston-super-Mare (loan) | 24 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Brentford | 132 | (45) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020– | Aston Villa | 208 | (83) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | England | 20 | (6) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 00:36, 12 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 21:41, 9 October 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Oliver George Arthur Watkins (born 30 December 1995) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as astriker forPremier League clubAston Villa and theEngland national team. Described as acomplete forward, Watkins is known for his finishing ability and work ethic.
Watkins is a product of theExeter Cityacademy and made his breakthrough at the club, winning theEFL Young Player of the Year award, before departing in 2017 forBrentford. He had a successful three-year spell at the club, culminating in being the joint top-scorer in the2019–20 Championship and being namedChampionship Player of the Year in 2020.
On 9 September 2020, Watkins signed for his present club, Aston Villa. In May 2024, he was namedPremier League Playmaker of the Season for the2023–24 season. On 10 May 2025, Watkins became Aston Villa's all-time top Premier League scorer, overtakingGabriel Agbonlahor's record of 74 goals.
On 25 March 2021, Watkins made his debut for theEngland national team againstSan Marino in a World Cup qualifying game. During this same match, he scored his first international goal. Watkins also represented England atUEFA Euro 2024.
Oliver George Arthur Watkins[3] was born on 30 December 1995[4] atTorbay Hospital inTorquay inDevon.[5]
Watkins is ofJamaican descent[6] and professes to be anArsenal supporter.[7] He was raised by his mother Delsi-May, who is a professional singer.[8][9]
Watkins grew up inNewton Abbot and he attendedSouth Dartmoor Community College inAshburton together withMatt Jay[10] andJamie Reid.[11]
Watkins began playing grassroots football with the academy ofBuckland Athletic at six years of age.[12] Thereafter, he joined neighbouring Newton Town F.C. for one season and also represented theDevon County Football Association alongsideSam Gallagher.[13]
On 18 May 2025, Watkins married his long time partner Ellie Alderson, with whom he has two children.[14]
Watkins joinedExeter City's academy at Under-11 level, having previously failed a trial with the club at the age of nine in 2003.[15] He rose through the youth ranks to sign a scholarship deal in 2012. In April 2014, he signed a two-year professional contract[15][16] after scoring 30 goals for the Under-18 team in its2013–14Football League Youth Alliance South West Conference-winning season.[17]
Watkins won his maiden first-team call up when he was named as a substitute for the finalLeague Two match of the2013–14 season versusHartlepool United and made his senior debut when he replacedAaron Dawson after 77 minutes of the 2–0 victory.[18] Watkins was frequently named as a substitute byPaul Tisdale during the first three months of the2014–15 season,[19] but despite scoring his first senior goal (a late consolation in a 3–1Football League Trophy second round defeat toCoventry City on 7 October 2014), he made just three appearances before departing onloan toWeston-super-Mare for the remainder of the season in December 2014.[20][21]
On 8 December 2014, Watkins joinedConference South club Weston-super-Mare on a one-month loan.[22] Through repeated extensions of the loan,[23] Watkins would remain with the club until the end of the2014–15 season.[20] He featured regularly for the team, scoring 10 goals in 25 appearances before returning to Exeter at the end of the season.[24]
After failing to be named in afirst-team squad during the opening two months of the2015–16 season,[25] Watkins broke onto the substitutes' bench in October 2015 and made his first appearance of the season late in the month.[26] He made his first start for Exeter City in a 2–1Devon derby victory overPlymouth Argyle on 6 December and scored his first goal of the season with the Grecians' second in a 2–0FA Cup second round victory overPort Vale in the following match.[25]
During March 2016, Watkins had broken into the starting line-up.[25] That same month, he scored four goals in six appearances to win theFootball League Young Player of the Month and PFA Fans' Player of the Month awards.[27][28] His goalscoring run extended into mid-April and finished with 8 goals in 10 appearances.[26] Two of these goals came in the return Devon derby with Plymouth Argyle, in which his latebrace sealed a 2–1 comeback victory and the second goal was subsequently voted as the club's Goal of the Season.[29][30] Watkins finished the 2015–16 season with 10 goals in 22 appearances.[26]
Watkins' performances in the final two months of the 2015–16 season saw him enter2016–17 as an established member of the first-team squad.[31] He had an eventful season, making 52 appearances, scoring 16 goals, and contributing 13assists,[32] though the campaign ended with Exeter losing 2–1 toBlackpool in the2017 League Two play-off final atWembley Stadium.[33] Watkins scored the firsthat-trick of his career in a 4–1 win overNewport County on 31 December 2016 and his two goals and five assists in January 2017 saw him win theLeague Two Player of the Month award.[33][34] On 9 April, he was awarded theEFL Young Player of the Year award for his performances during the season.[35]
On 18 July 2017, Watkins joinedChampionship clubBrentford on a four-year contract, with an option for a further year, for an undisclosed fee,[32] reported to be £1.8 million.[36] He scored his first goal for Brentford on 8 August in their 3–1extra-time victory away toAFC Wimbledon in theEFL Cup first round.[37]
On 9 August 2019, Watkins signed a new four-year contract with a one-year extension option.[38] He scored his first hat-trick for the club in the Championship againstBarnsley in a 3–1 win on 29 September.[39] Watkins made 50 appearances and scored 26 goals in all competitions during the2019–20 season, which ended with defeat in the2020 Championship play-off final.[40]
On 9 September 2020, 24-year-old Watkins joinedPremier League clubAston Villa on a five-year contract,[41] for a then club-record fee of £28 million, which could rise to £33 million.[42] Exeter City made £4 million and a further £750,000 in additional performance related add-ons from the transfer as they had inserted a sell-on clause when Watkins was sold to Brentford.[43] In joining Aston Villa, Watkins was reunited with managerDean Smith, who had signed him for Brentford.[citation needed] On 15 September, Watkins made his Aston Villa debut, scoring in a 3–1 away win in the EFL Cup againstBurton Albion.[44] He went on to make his Premier League debut on 21 September, in a 1–0 home win againstSheffield United.[45]
On 4 October 2020, Watkins scored his first Premier League goals, scoring through a left footed strike, a right footed strike and a header for aperfect hat-trick in a 7–2 home victory over championsLiverpool.[46] It was Liverpool's heaviest defeat in 57 years and was the first time in Premier League history that a reigning champion had conceded 7 goals in a single match.[47] On 10 April 2021, Watkins scored against Liverpool again, becoming the first player sinceAndrey Arshavin in the 2008–09 season to score as many as four goals against Liverpool in a single Premier League season.[48] With 14 goals, he became Aston Villa's top scorer of the2020–21 season.[49]
On 25 February 2023, Watkins scored in his fifth consecutive Premier League match, a 2–0 win away toEverton, becoming the first Aston Villa player to achieve this feat.[50]
On 23 August 2023, Watkins scored a hat-trick in Villa's 5–0 win againstHibernian in the2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round, which ensured the team's qualification for the group stage.[51] On 30 September, he scored his second hat-trick of the2023–24 season and his third for Aston Villa in a 6–1 home win overBrighton & Hove Albion.[52] On 6 October, Watkins signed a new contract with Aston Villa, committing his future to the club until 2028.[53] On 14 April 2024, he scored a goal in a 2–0 away win overArsenal, in which he became the joint-top scorer for Aston Villa in a single Premier League season, 19 goals without penalty kicks, equallingChristian Benteke's record in 2012–13.[54] On 14 May 2024, at Aston Villa's 2023–24, Watkins was voted Supporters' and Players' Player of the Season.[55]
At the end of the season, Watkins won thePremier League Playmaker of the Season award for the mostassists of the season, with 13.[56] Watkins was also named in the Premier League Fan Team of the Season.[57]
Watkins' first goals of the2024–25 season season came in a 3–2 home win againstEverton in the Premier League, with Watkins scoring twice in the second half to earn him the Man of the Match award.[58] On 29 January 2025, he scored his firstUEFA Champions League goal, provided two assists and missed a penalty in a 4–2 victory overCeltic.[59] Watkins scored after 30 seconds againstNewcastle United on 19 April, a game Villa went on to win 4–1. This put him on 74 Premier League goals for Villa, drawing him level withGabriel Agbonlahor for most goals in the league for the club.[60] On 10 May, he broke the previous record, scoring his 75th goal for Villa in a 1–0 away win overBournemouth.[61]
In November 2025, Aston Villa managerUnai Emery announced that Watkins was one of Aston Villa's deputy captains, behind captainJohn McGinn and vice captainEzri Konsa.[62] A month later, on 27 December, he netted a brace in a 2–1 away win overChelsea, helping his team secure an 11-match winning streak that matched club records previously achieved in September 1897 and March 1914.[63]
On 18 March 2021, Watkins was named inGareth Southgate'sEngland squad for2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches againstSan Marino,Albania andPoland.[64] On 25 March 2021, 25-year-old Watkins made his England debut as a second-half substitute in a 5–0 victory over San Marino at Wembley. He subsequently scored his first England goal with his first shot on target in an England shirt.[65]
Watkins was named in the provisional England squad forUEFA Euro 2020 in May 2021.[66] However, he was not selected in the final 26-man squad for the tournament.[67]
Watkins made his first start for England on 29 March 2022 at Wembley in afriendly against theIvory Coast, scoring the opening goal in the 30th minute of the 3–0 win.[68]
Watkins was not included in England's squad for any of their2022–23 UEFA Nations League matches or the2022 FIFA World Cup.[69] He was recalled to the squad in October 2023 for the first time in 18 months[70] and, on 13 October, started in a friendly withAustralia, scoring the only goal of the match.[71]
He was named in England's 26-man squad forUEFA Euro 2024.[72] In England'ssemi-final against theNetherlands, Watkins along withCole Palmer came off the bench in the 81st minute,[73] with the latter assisting him to score the winning goal in the 90th minute, sending England to thefinal.[74]
Throughout 2023 and 2024, Watkins was frequently described by media sources as one of the best centre-forwards in Europe[75][76][77][78] and the world.[79][80][81][82][83]
Watkins has described himself as "anumber 10",[84] and in 2017 namedThierry Henry as his idol, saying "I try to base my game on his, by driving atdefenders and looking to make something happen when I get the ball".[85] He is also adept as awinger. He was adapted into a more traditionalcentre-forward at Brentford during the 2019–20 season.[86] Under Unai Emery at Aston Villa, Watkins began to play as a number 9, not only scoring but setting up goals for teammates.[80] He has been described as a complete forward[87] and received praise for his attacking runs,[88] speed,[88][89][90] work ethic,[88][91][90][92] finishing[93][88] and versatility.[94][91][95]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Exeter City | 2013–14[18] | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[21] | League Two | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16[26] | League Two | 20 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 9 | ||
| 2016–17[33] | League Two | 45 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5[b] | 3 | 52 | 16 | ||
| Total | 68 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 4 | 78 | 26 | |||
| Weston-super-Mare (loan) | 2014–15[24] | Conference South | 24 | 10 | — | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | 25 | 10 | |||
| Brentford | 2017–18[96] | Championship | 45 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 48 | 11 | ||
| 2018–19[97] | Championship | 41 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 45 | 12 | |||
| 2019–20[98] | Championship | 46 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 1 | 50 | 26 | ||
| Total | 132 | 45 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 143 | 49 | |||
| Aston Villa | 2020–21[99] | Premier League | 37 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 40 | 16 | ||
| 2021–22[100] | Premier League | 35 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 11 | |||
| 2022–23[101] | Premier League | 37 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 40 | 16 | |||
| 2023–24[102] | Premier League | 37 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12[e] | 8 | — | 53 | 27 | ||
| 2024–25[103] | Premier League | 38 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12[f] | 1 | — | 54 | 17 | ||
| 2025–26[104] | Premier League | 25 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8[g] | 0 | — | 35 | 8 | ||
| Total | 209 | 83 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 32 | 9 | — | 258 | 95 | |||
| Career total | 433 | 158 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 32 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 504 | 179 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2021 | 5 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 20 | 6 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 March 2021 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 1 |  San Marino | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | [106] |
| 2 | 29 March 2022 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 7 |  Ivory Coast | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | [107] |
| 3 | 13 October 2023 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 8 |  Australia | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | [108] |
| 4 | 10 July 2024 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany | 14 |  Netherlands | 2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 | [109] |
| 5 | 14 November 2024 | Athens Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece | 18 |  Greece | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B | [110] |
| 6 | 9 October 2025 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 20 |  Wales | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | [111] |
England
Individual
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