Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive as star striker Ollie Watkins fires England into the Euro 2024 final against Spain
David Beckham (Image: Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
David Beckham has sent Ollie Watkins a message after his Euro 2024 heroics for England.
Aston Villa’s star striker was the Three Lions’ super sub as he fired them into the Euro 2024 final with a dramatic injury time winner against the Netherlands in the semi-final on Wednesday night. They will now face Spain in the final on Sunday.
And Beckham joined the likes of Watkins’ England team-mates Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, as well as Prince William, Gary Lineker, Steven Gerrard and Alan Shearer in celebrating his sensational goal that sparked euphoric celebrations across the nation. “That’s why they call it a TEAM,” Beckham said on Instagram Stories. “What a moment. Well done Ollie.”
Speaking on ITV, Watkins described the moment he scored the winning goal as “unbelievable”, adding: “I’ve been waiting for that moment for weeks. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get to where I am now. I’m grateful I got the opportunity and I grabbed it with both hands, I’m delighted.
“I swear on my life, on my kids’ lives, I said to Cole Palmer, ‘We’re coming on and you’re going to set me up’ and that’s why I was so happy with Coley, I knew as soon as he got the ball he was going to play me.
“You’ve got to be greedy, touch and shoot, and when I see it going into the bottom corner it’s the best feeling ever.
“There’s been a lot of criticism but at the end of the day we’re in the final and that’s all that matters. Forget all the outside noise, we’re in the final.
“We’ve got that kind of bounce-back factor, going a goal behind seems to kick us into gear. We never give up. We’ve won on penalties and come from behind. There’s one more game now – we’re ready.”
Like Beckham, Bellingham hailed the team effort to reach the final – and Watkins. “Ollie came on and won it,” Bellingham said on ITV. “I’m so happy for him. He came on and took his opportunity. I couldn’t be prouder. The whole team are buzzing for him. He’s the hero and he saved us.”
