Ollie Watkins has made a seamless transition to the Premier League after joining from Brentford last summer.
The striker has played every minute of Aston Villa’s 27 top-flight matches so far, scoring ten goals, registering three assists and impressing with his high work-rate.
Watkins has come a long way since he was plying his trade for Exeter City in League Two just three seasons ago, but he feels there is still much more to come from him.
He said: “I do look back and think ‘they were good times’ and ‘I’ve done so well to get where I am,’ but me as a person, I’m always thinking about the next thing.
“I never really settle and I’m never content. That can also be a bad thing because I’m quite harsh on myself, but also I can’t stop until I get where I want to be.
“I look back and use it as motivation to say, ‘I don’t really want to be back there, I want to keep pushing forward.’”
Despite spending the entirety of his Villa career playing in empty stadiums, the 25-year-old has felt the support of the club’s fanbase as he’s settled into life in the area.
Another big factor in helping him to hit the ground running was the influence of head coach Dean Smith, the man who took him from Exeter to Brentford before signing him once again for Villa.
“I’ve worked with him before when he actually left Brentford to join Villa, I was gutted,” Watkins reflected.
“I had a sick feeling in my stomach because I was really close with him. He brought me in and I played every game under him.
“We had a great relationship, so it was nice to be back with him. I knew how we worked and that he would help me to improve.”
Watch the full VillaTV interview with Watkins below..
