'My mate just scored the winner for England'

"It's truthful difficult to get my caput information my mate doing that - it's conscionable unthinkable what he's done."

Connor Riley-Lowe has known Ollie Watkins since he was a teenager, but thing could hole him for nan guidance his friend evoked aft his last-minute victor to nonstop England into nan last of Euro 2024.

Riley-Lowe, who is skipper of National League South broadside Truro City played alongside Watkins astatine Exeter City's academy arsenic they came up done nan ranks together.

"It's really difficult to get my caput astir it, he's conscionable a lad from Newton Abbot to maine really," he told BBC Radio Cornwall, nan greeting aft England's 2-1 triumph complete nan Netherlands successful Dortmund.

"I'm a small spot utilized to it successful position of his Aston Villa career, but it's conscionable different level really."

Riley-Lowe played 14 times for Exeter earlier moving into non-league shot and becoming a PE teacher.

The brace played together 9 times for Exeter City, including a celebrated EFL Cup triumph complete Watkins' early employers Brentford successful August 2016.

"I managed to Facetime pinch him past nighttime conscionable earlier he sewage backmost connected nan level to spell backmost to camp," Riley-Lowe said.

"That was a really bully moment. It was rather emotional, but it was incredible.

"The first point he said was 'I knew I was going to score'.

"He said 'I had a emotion each day', and I don't cognize if you watched his question and reply aft nan game, he said to Cole Palmer 'I'm going to people and you're going to group maine up'.

"That sums him up really, he's conscionable truthful confident, moreover though he's not played a monolithic portion successful this tourney for him to still deliberation that passim nan time conscionable sums up his mindset."

Watkins' emergence has not conscionable been awesome for Exeter's reputation, but for their slope equilibrium arsenic well.

The Grecians sold him to Brentford for £1.8m successful 2017, and erstwhile he made his £28m move to Aston Villa they made different £4m from a sell-on clause and a further £750,000 successful further performance-related add-ons.

But he besides created immoderate memories that will past everlastingly for Exeter City fans.

"I was successful nan aged grandstand erstwhile he scored against Plymouth and I conscionable deliberation that was a sublime moment," Exeter City Supporters' Trust president Nick Hawker told BBC Radio Devon.

"Not only was it a awesome goal, but 1 of your ain scoring against your arch rivals is really special.

"I retrieve astatine nan clip we were trying to raise money for nan academy and 1 of my lines erstwhile I was going astir asking group for money was 'we nutrient bully people, not conscionable bully footballers'.

"I deliberation that activity ethic that we hopefully will person instilled successful Ollie carries through, and if we're still doing that location would beryllium different Ollies successful nan future."

Watkins' first nine was Buckland Athletic - a broadside whose first squad presently play successful nan ninth tier Western Premier League.

But 20 years on, Watkins is still fondly remembered by nan group who first introduced him to nan game.

"He comes from a really, really beautiful family which you could spot past nighttime erstwhile he saw his mum and sewage into nan crowd and he was giving her a large buss and a cuddle," said Buckland's co-chairman Nigel Holmes.

"The coaches that worked straight pinch him said he was very respectful and consenting to learn.

"He utilized to do other sessions pinch nan coaches and if you speak to them they've sewage thing but praise for him.

"He was ever asking 'What tin I do to make maine a amended player?'

"It conscionable goes to show that each nan hours that our unpaid coaches put successful astatine grassroots level, it conscionable makes it each worthwhile for them."