From Weston to Euro 2024 final - Watkins' 'unbelievable' moment

"I've been waiting for that infinitesimal for weeks," said Ollie Watkins afterwards - and boy did he return it.

With nan timepiece astir to deed 90:00 successful England's Euro 2024 semi-final against nan Netherlands, pinch nan people astatine 1-1 successful Dortmund, nan shot fell to nan striker from Devon, who was still playing successful nan English Football League conscionable complete 4 years agone astatine nan property of 24.

The Aston Villa man turned Stefan de Vrij and hammered a changeable into nan bottommost area for 1 of nan astir important England goals ever scored.

Rewind 9 years and he had conscionable vanished a indebtedness spell astatine non-league Weston-super-Mare from League Two Exeter City.

Asked aft his Dortmund heroics whether he could person imagined this astatine nan time, he said: "You tin dream but I americium a realist. I was conscionable focused connected getting backmost into nan first squad astatine Exeter.

"I didn't dream astir that to beryllium honest. I can't dishonesty and opportunity I did. Scoring for England is astonishing but I didn't deliberation I'd do it successful a tourney for illustration that."

Watkins' winning extremity much than justified Gareth Southgate's determination to take him to switch England's all-time apical scorer Harry Kane, pinch 9 minutes to go. He came connected alongside Cole Palmer, who group up his goal.

"I was wondering erstwhile nan changes were going to happen. The changes were correct and they were perfect," said erstwhile England skipper Alan Shearer connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

Former Brentford striker Watkins had only played 20 minutes astatine a awesome tourney earlier this, successful nan group shape against Denmark, having been near retired of nan Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup squads.

"When I was connected nan chair I said to [sub keeper] Dean Henderson, 'I tin make a quality coming and request to get on'. I took my chance, scored it and now we are successful nan final. One past game," he said.

That crippled is against Spain successful Sunday's Euro 2024 last - arsenic England bid to beryllium European champions for nan first clip successful men's football.

Unlike galore England players, Watkins started his profession little successful nan shot pyramid - astatine Exeter City.

"He had nan cleanable attitude, nan cleanable characteristic and beingness ability. He had each nan boxes ticked yet, astatine 17, 18, 19 years aged he ne'er played arsenic good arsenic he should person done," said Paul Tisdale, Watkins' first head astatine Exeter.

At nan property of 18, mostly playing connected nan wing, Watkins had made 4 first-team appearances for City earlier being sent connected indebtedness to Weston-super-Mare successful nan Conference South, nan sixth tier.

He scored 10 goals successful 18 starts location - and collapsed into nan Exeter team, arsenic a striker.

"Suddenly nan motor turned on. I've ne'er seen a subordinate person a quantum displacement successful their output arsenic overmuch arsenic Ollie did," said Tisdale.

He near for Championship Brentford successful 2017 for £1.8m having scored 26 goals successful 78 appearances for Exeter.

Another 49 goals followed successful 143 games for nan Bees earlier he became nan astir costly Championship subordinate ever erstwhile he joined Aston Villa for £28m 3 years later.

In this squad, only Ivan Toney - his rival for nan spot to switch Kane precocious successful games - has played much EFL games.

Watkins has kicked connected astatine Villa pinch 70 goals successful 169 games, hitting 19 Premier League goals past play to return his nine into nan Champions League.

Dean Smith, who managed him astatine Brentford and Villa, said: "I look astatine him now - he has go much of a selfish player, which is simply a bully thing.

"His biggest spot could beryllium his biggest weakness. He could hit himself up complete things but it would besides thrust him.

"His affectional power now allows him to judge 'I will miss chances but I’ll beryllium fresh for nan adjacent one'."

Just past period Watkins said: "Even erstwhile I first went to Villa, I'd conscionable been bought for £30m and I was still unsure whether I deserved to beryllium there.

"I hadn't done it successful nan Premier League, truthful I would opportunity location was a spot of that before. But now I'm successful a really bully place.

"I had a really bully year, sewage nan astir assists successful nan league, scored a batch of goals and group still weren't including maine successful their squads to travel to nan Euros.

"Everyone has their ain opinion, but I don't consciousness for illustration I person that large floor plan wherever I'm talked about. Or wherever if I was near retired of nan squad, group would beryllium like: 'Oh, I can't judge they didn't prime Ollie Watkins.'

"I'm happy I'm present now."

And truthful is Gareth Southgate.

"Ollie has trained each time and been fresh to play, arsenic nan full group has been," he said.

"There's a batch of caller players successful nan group. Half person not been to a tourney but they person bonded truthful well, sewage each other's backmost and coming was a bully illustration of that."

Watkins' extremity - timed astatine 89:59 - was nan latest winning extremity scored successful a European Championship aliases World Cup semi-final, excluding other time.

It came pinch 1 of only 10 touches Watkins has had successful nan tournament.

"We talk astir being ready," said Kane. "We're a large squad astatine being ready.

"When it matters, you mightiness get 5 minutes, 1 minute, but you tin make a difference, you tin triumph america a tournament. He's been waiting, he's been patient.

"What he did was outstanding and he deserves it."

Ex-England striker Ian Wright was impressed watching nan crippled for ITV.

"This is what Ollie Watkins does. This is nan nonstop cognition I would want to have," he said.

"You want Cole Palmer to travel connected and deed a walk that is perfect. In nan moment, get backmost to nan basics. It was perfectly perfect. Nobody did that to those defenders each night. They had an easy thrust until he came on.

"Unbelievable moment. That's what you person travel connected to do - conscionable return a shot. What's nan worst that tin happen? Ollie Watkins has done brilliantly.

"He's waited for his opportunity and he's done it. Now we're into nan final. It's conscionable amazing."