Overview
- Watkins was an unused substitute as England beat Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup opener and said on Sunday that he is ready to reprise the impact 'finisher' role he played at Euro 2024.
- Speaking at England’s Kansas City training base on Sunday, June 21, Watkins said he prefers to stick to his own strengths and believes the bench role gives him clear chances to punish tired opponents.
- Watkins explicitly accepted that Harry Kane is a different kind of striker with a unique goalscoring record and said he will not try to copy Kane’s game but will complement it from the bench.
- He told reporters he has taken advice from former England forward Michael Owen to be more aggressive on the pitch and pointed to a strong finish to the season with Aston Villa as part of why he made the squad.
- Tuchel’s early use of substitutes and Watkins’ readiness underline England’s reliance on late-game impact players, and Watkins also signalled positive fitness signs for teammates by confirming Bukayo Saka had not missed training ahead of the Ghana match.