Gareth Barry Urges Ollie Watkins to Channel England Snub into Villa Success
Former Aston Villa and England midfielder Gareth Barry has delivered a clear message to Ollie Watkins following his omission from the latest Three Lions squad. Barry insists the striker can force manager Thomas Tuchel into a World Cup rethink by propelling Villa into the Champions League positions.
Watkins Overlooked for England Friendlies
Watkins was a notable absentee from Tuchel's 35-man squad for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. The selection instead favored Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, dealing a significant blow to the Villa forward. This exclusion comes despite Watkins' memorable contribution to England's Euro 2024 campaign, where his dramatic winner against the Netherlands secured a place in the final.
Barry, who represented England at the 2010 World Cup while playing for Villa, has urged the 30-year-old not to abandon his ambition of being Harry Kane's primary deputy for the tournament in the United States this summer.
A Point to Prove in the Season's Final Stretch
Barry believes Watkins should use the disappointment of his international snub as motivation for Villa's crucial run-in. Unai Emery's side currently sits fourth in the Premier League with seven matches remaining and faces a Europa League quarter-final against Bologna next month.
"He's missed out on the latest England squad, and I hope he's spoken to Thomas Tuchel," Barry continued. "For me, he's ahead of Solanke and Calvert-Lewin based on his consistency over the whole season. Hopefully, this can fire him up for the last seven games. He should be in the 26-man World Cup squad."
The former midfielder challenged Watkins to transform his frustration into on-field performance. "He'll be thinking, 'Right, let's finish this season strongly, score goals, be in a team that qualifies for the Champions League, win a trophy, and play well.' I think Ollie will still get in that squad, but most importantly, winning a trophy with Villa would be incredible for him."
Overcoming a Challenging Season
This campaign has presented difficulties for Watkins in terms of goal output. After surpassing Gabby Agbonlahor's record to become Villa's all-time leading Premier League goalscorer last season, he has managed only 10 goals across all competitions so far this term.
Despite this dip and the arrival of Tammy Abraham to provide competition, Barry maintains that Watkins deserves recognition among Villa's greats. "I loved playing with Gabby, who I also thought was underrated, and Ollie has gone and broken that record," Barry added. "Gabby was a real team player who would get his head down and make runs behind defences, and Ollie is the same. Fans get frustrated at times, but Ollie is one of the top strikers at Villa in Premier League history, and his goals prove that."
Barry also suggested that the pressure might now be alleviated for Watkins. "I think there's a bit of pressure. We're all human, and that'll be in the back of the players' minds—not just the England players but all players trying to compete for their country. But for Ollie, the pressure's come off now. He's been left out of this squad, he's got a point to prove, so I think it'll work for him."
Gareth Barry is currently serving as the official 'Angry Ambassador' for the new Angry Birds game at TOCA Social. The experience launches across all UK venues from March 30, including locations at the Bullring in Birmingham, The O2, and Westfield White City.
