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THE SECRET SCOUT: I spotted Ollie Watkins in 2017... when he was in midfield at Exeter!

Our scout is a top football expert who attends matches each week searching for the next star. He’ll bring you his verdict in Sportsmail.

When I first saw him at Exeter as a 21-year-old in League Two, Ollie Watkins was playing as a midfielder and I was intrigued to be told his running stats were the best at the club in terms of speed, intensity and distance.

The fact that he could break from midfield and score double figures was an achievement at that level when most of the teams were playing a longer game.

Simply, it means longer runs to get into the box and with so many defences sitting deep and restricting room, it’s rare to see this kind of player.