Ollie Watkins 'never dreamt' of Aston Villa rise as striker delivers honest Champions League verdict

Ollie Watkins is relishing the chance to prove himself in the Champions League with Aston Villa this season

Ollie Watkins admits he never expected to play in the Champions League with Aston Villa when he signed for the club in the summer of 2020.

The striker joined Villa in a deal worth £30m after being headhunted by Dean Smith, who he had worked with at Brentford previously. Watkins has hit double figures in each of his four Premier League seasons, but reached a new level last term as he bagged 19 times and recorded 13 assists, more than any other player in the division.

He made his Champions League debut last month in Villa's win over BSC Young Boys and will be desperate to open his account in Europe's elite club competition on Wednesday night when Bayern Munich come to town.

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Asked if he expected Villa to become a Champions League club when he signed, Watkins admitted: "No, not for one minute. When the manager first came in after we had just lost to Newcastle and were towards the bottom of the league, never did I think we would finish that season seventh and then go on to finish fourth. I don't think anyone would have said that.

"He has completely turned us around as players and the club. Full credit to him and us as players, obviously. But I would never have dreamt of it, to be honest.

"You have probably seen from his interviews, he is very demanding and focused. He knows what he wants. He puts in a lot of hard work. You obviously hear about professionals putting in work off the field and doing extras. It is the same for him.

"He’s in early, leaves late and is so focused and demanding. It is the small details. He respects everyone as a team, no matter their league position. I think that is probably his biggest strength, just respecting everyone and knowing they are capable of causing problems when we play.

"Since he set foot in the door it has been so positive. We have won more than we have lost and we are only getting better and improving. It is such a lovely place to be, this club, especially as a player but also for the fans and for people outside this club to see the stature of it, improving and getting better, every day and each week."

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