Ollie Watkins Apologizes to Aston Villa Squad After Brighton Match
Unai Emery has revealed that Ollie Watkins apologised to the Aston Villa squad for refusing to play on Sunday, as the manager delivered a heartfelt farewell to the club’s departing record scorer.
Watkins made himself unavailable for the game against Brighton, a decision that jarred with the professionalism he has largely shown since arriving from Brentford in 2020. Emery did not gloss over the mistake, but made it clear the dressing room has moved on.
“He told us after the Brighton match he was sorry and that he had made a mistake. He was wrong, but we accepted it. The players as well,” Emery said.
The contrition comes at the end of a prolific chapter. Watkins, 30, is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Friday to complete a £51m move to Al-Hilal, closing the book on a four-year spell in which he became Villa’s most prolific Premier League marksman.
- Ninety-one league goals.
- One hundred and eight in all competitions.
- Signed for £28m from Brentford, leaving as a £51m striker and the face of Villa’s resurgence in the top flight.
Emery lingered on the person as much as the player.
“His commitment and his behaviour was fantastic. He's a fantastic guy – a fantastic guy even more than a player,” the Spaniard said. “I told him 'bye' with a huge hug and with small tears.”
The emotion of that goodbye collides with the ruthless churn of elite football. Villa are already lining up the next No 9. The club are poised to complete a £65m deal for Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson, who is expected to step straight into the void Watkins leaves behind.
For Emery, the message was clear: respect the legacy, but don’t stand still.
“But now it's a new chapter here with Nicolas Jackson,” he added.
Watkins heads for Al-Hilal as Villa turn the page, swapping their record scorer for a new spearhead and testing whether this rebuild can keep pace with the club’s ambition.
