Ollie Watkins emerged as the unlikely hero after coming on as a late substitute after his 90th-minute goal helped England clinch a dramatic 2-1 win over the Netherlands and seal a spot in the Euro 2024 final.
Watkins had played just 20 minutes in Germany – in the group stage against Denmark. He was introduced after 80 minutes as the game hung in the balance at 1-1 with extra time looming.
On for Harry Kane, who had earlier equalised for England following a contentious VAR penalty call, Watkins received a pass from fellow substitute Cole Palmer with his back to goal, turned and fired low into the far corner to stun the Dutch and send the Three Lions through to a title clash with Spain.
Who is Ollie Watkins?
Watkins, 28, plays his club football in England for Aston Villa. He ended the 2023/24 season as joint-fourth top scorer in the Premier League with 19 goals.
Watkins has come a long way since his early days when, as a teenager still learning his trade as a striker, he was sent on loan to English sixth-tier club Weston-super-Mare in 2015.
A product of the Exeter City academy, Watkins signed a contract with the club operating in England's third division in 2014 but found first-team chances hard to come by, prompting the loan to Weston.
After returning to Exeter ahead of the 2015/16 season, he began breaking into the starting XI and climbed up the ladder. His next big move came in 2017 when Watkins joined Championship club Brentford on a four-year contract.
He hit his stride in the 2019/20 season, making 50 appearances for the Bees, scoring 26 goals in all competitions. The season ended in heartbreak as Brentford lost the Championship play-off final to Fulham.
Breakthrough
Then came the breakthrough moment. In September 2020, Watkins joined Premier League club Aston Villa on a five-year contract for a then club-record fee of £28 million.
Watkins enjoyed a stellar 2023/24 season, providing 13 assists as well as scoring 19 goals in the Premier League that helped Unai Emery's side finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League.
In total, Watkins has made 146 appearances for Villa, scoring 59 goals.
Despite his impressive club form, Watkins has found chances with England few and far between. His goal against the Netherlands was just his fourth for England in 14 appearances. Two of them came against San Marino, the world’s lowest-ranked team.
What they said
Watkins: "I said to Cole [Palmer] that we were both going to go on the pitch and he was going to set me up, at half time. 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 sweetly before. Obviously it's such a special moment.
"I didn't dream about that to be honest. I can't lie and say I did. Scoring for England is amazing but I didn't think I'd do it in a tournament like that."
Gareth Southgate: "We just felt energy-wise we were starting to lose pressure. Harry [Kane] got a knock in the first half as well and, of course, Ollie can press well, he can make those runs in behind like he did. We thought it was a good moment to try it.
"Very, very special for him."
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
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SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
Hurricanes
Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote
Cons: Tredray 2, Powell
Eagles
Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The%20Sandman
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
