A thumping win against Hibernian to kick off Aston Villa’s Europa Conference League campaign left Ollie Watkins happy in more ways than one.
The striker bagged a hat-trick as his side registered a 5-0 win in the first leg of their play-off round tie.
And Watkins praised the way Villa approached the match against the Scottish Premier League team.
“It was a really professional performance,” he said.
“I thought we respected them, and, ultimately, that’s why we did really well tonight.
“We controlled the game from the start. They were always going to put a bit of pressure on us from the start and we were going to give the ball away sometimes, but we remained calm and composed.
“We’ve scored a lot of goals here tonight and it’s going to take pressure off us going into the second leg.”
The England international scored a pair of headers in the first half before completing his treble with a well-taken finish minutes after the restart.
His goals at Easter Road opened his account for the campaign, and Watkins is hungry for more heading to Burnley this weekend.
He said: “I haven’t scored in the previous games, but I’ve always remained focused and I knew that I’d get opportunities tonight.
“I just had to stay calm and be ready, and when they fell to me, I took them.
“I’m delighted to come away with the match ball and give the team some confidence going into the next few games. For me personally, it will give me confidence going into the weekend.”
