Ollie Watkins revealed he predicted he would score in England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands as his 90th-minute winning goal sent them into Sunday’s final against Spain.
Gareth Southgate sent on the Aston Villa striker along with Cole Palmer with just 10 minutes of the match remaining and the scores level.
The substitutions proved inspired with Watkins brilliantly driving a low shot into the corner of the net after receiving the ball from Palmer. The 28-year-old said that he had told Palmer that the pair would come on and make the difference.
“Unbelievable”, said Watkins, who was serenaded by exultant England supporters at the final whistle in Dortmund and then received a spontaneous ovation from the players’ friends and family afterwards as he joined them in the stands.
“I’ve been waiting for that moment for weeks. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get where I am today, grateful that I got the opportunity and I grabbed it with both hands. I’m delighted".
“I said to Cole Palmer, ‘we’re coming on and you’re going to set me up today’. It happened, I manifested it and as soon as he turned I knew I needed to make a move. You don’t get that opportunity very often so I had to be greedy, I had to take it".
“After seeing it go into the bottom corner I don’t think I’ve hit a ball that sweet before. Obviously it’s such a special moment as well. Best feeling ever”.
Watkins, who was on loan at Conference South side Weston-Super-Mare a decade ago while at Exeter City, had played only 20 minutes in the tournament beforehand and admitted he had become frustrated at a lack of opportunities.
“Recently I got a little bit frustrated”, he said. “I don’t like to be on the bench, I’ve had the best season of my career. I’ve had a few messages from friends saying, be patient, you’re going to get an opportunity".
“They feel like I’ve got a big part to play in the tournament. The amount of people that have messaged me today saying I’m going to score tonight when I come on is ridiculous".
“Obviously, they’ve put it out into the universe. Hopefully they can do that same for the final or even give me the lottery numbers”.
'We've come here to win'
Watkins’s goal sealed another England comeback as they emerged victorious despite falling behind for the third successive game, with Xavi Simon s’s early strike being cancelled out by Harry Kane’s penalty.
Felix Zwayer, the German referee, was asked by VAR to review the challenge on Kane by Denzel Dumfries as the defender attempted to block the England captain’s shot, and the Netherlands were unhappy with the decision.
“In England, they would not give such a decision”, said Netherlands’ manager Ronald Koeman. Whereas Kane, who suffered a “big knock” in the incident according to his manager, said: “My foot’s hanging off so he definitely caught me!".
“Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t. I was happy to step up and see that go in the back of the net. It was a nice feeling for sure”.
England’s focus will now shift to the showdown with tournament favourites Spain when they will play in their first major final overseas, the second final of the Southgate era, and attempt to win silverware of the first time since 1966.
“The lads are singing in the dressing room, but they are straight in the ice [bath],” said Southgate. “I took the job to improve English football. We are now in a second final, the first was the first for 50 years and now this is the first one overseas. I am immensely proud of that".
“We are giving our supporters some of their best nights for 50 years. I hope they are enjoying a few beers. We have had some incredible nights the last seven, eight years, but we have come here to win":
“We will have to get the ball off them [Spain] first. They have been the best team, but we are starting to show a better version of ourselves".
“The extra day they have to prepare is a concern. But we are in there and, what we have shown to this point, means we have as good a chance as they do”.
