For years the equation has been simple. No Harry Kane, no hope for England. Yet while losing the captain would be a huge blow, Ollie Watkins’ improvement in 2023 means they could still win Euro 2024 without him.
Unai Emery takes the most credit for Aston Villa’s title charge but Watkins is not far behind. He scored 21 times in the league in 2023 and is the most effective English forward in the competition this season.
Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have been involved in more goals than Watkins, who has struck nine times, while he leads the assists table with eight.