Ollie Watkins knows his current form has not been good enough to get in Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad.
The Aston Villa forward was left out of the expanded 35-man squad for the Three Lions’ upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan having scored just one goal in his past nine Premier League matches.
It leaves question marks over whether 30-year-old Watkins’ hopes of going to a first World Cup are hanging in the balance.
“Everyone wants to play for their country but I expected that because my form has not been that great,” Watkins said after Sunday’s comfortable 2-0 win against West Ham, Villa’s first after a run of three Premier League defeats.
“I know what I can do and when I put on an England shirt I feel like I have always performed well.”
Against West Ham, Watkins showed Tuchel just what he is missing as he ended a six-match goal drought in the league.
He provided a constant threat and was unlucky not to find the net with more of his five efforts, twice dragging shots just wide.
But in contrast to last season’s tally of 17 goals and 14 assists, Watkins’ 10 goals and two assists in all competitions this campaign look meagre.
He knows he is running out of time to impress the England boss and, absent from the national team’s final training camp before the World Cup, he also knows his only way to get back in Tuchel’s good books is by scoring for his club.
“One thing with Watkins you can always rely on is his endeavour and his willingness to keep running the channels and keep doing the right things for the team,” said former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy.
“That’s a huge thing that Tuchel will keep an eye on. I don’t think he’s completely out of it yet.”
When it comes to who will play up front for England this summer there can be no doubt that captain Harry Kane will be first choice.
But Watkins has deputised for the Bayern Munich striker before – and done a good job.
His goal in stoppage time against the Netherlands to send the Three Lions to the final of Euro 2024 will live long in the memory of England fans.
He may seem like the most obvious choice but his lack of game time under Tuchel means it may not be as straightforward as that.
Watkins was injured for most of England’s World Cup qualifying campaign and has played just once under the German manager – coming on as a substitute in the win over Serbia in September.
Tuchel has made it clear he is prepared to be brutal by leaving out big players, and said this training camp is the “last opportunity for players to compete for their ticket” to the World Cup.
That could spell trouble for Watkins, whose numbers this season are underwhelming.
Tottenham‘s Dominic Solanke and Leeds United‘s Dominic Calvert-Lewin have instead been favoured for this camp, but former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard says that does not mean Watkins will not be at the World Cup.
“Tuchel will use these two games to give all these players some minutes and if they are disappointing that could bring Watkins back into the frame,” he said.
“I am surprised he isn’t in the squad because – having worked with him – when he is consistent and firing, he is more than good enough for England.”
Watkins’ poor form has coincided with a tricky period for Villa in which they had won just two of their past 10 matches before Sunday’s victory at Villa Park.
But he is not the only one going through a sticky patch with the Villans scoring just 12 goals this calendar year and boasting one of the worst shot conversion rates in the league.
But Watkins appeared completely determined to provide the spark his side needed against West Ham, leading the line brilliantly and constantly searching for opportunities.
Perhaps being left out of this England squad provided the perfect motivation for him to return to the scoresheet. Perhaps Tuchel even knew it would.
“Tuchel knows him pretty well and he’s seen a bit of him already, so maybe not everybody who’s left out [of the England squad] is completely out of his thoughts,” said Murphy.
“Goals between now and the end of the season could easily get Watkins back in Tuchel’s thoughts. I think that’ll be a big relief for him to get back scoring and he’s still got a lot of time to get his form right back up there because we know how good he is. All is not lost for him.”
Watkins will now spend the international break resting and training in Birmingham, and Villa manager Unai Emery seemed well aware of the challenge facing the striker.
“He is a fighter. He is always doing his tasks and I am always delighted with him. Then it’s numbers,” he said.
“Today he scored, but he must be consistent in his mentality to do his tasks and get his numbers. To be in the national team is something every player wants, but he must continue working and give the coach trouble [picking] for the next World Cup.”
