Ollie Watkins has revealed that one Manchester City player is completely unpredictable behind the scenes.
The Aston Villa striker, after scoring 19 goals in 37 Premier League appearances last season, has found himself in the England squad for the current European Championship in Germany.
With one game played, the Three Lions managed to beat Serbia with a 1-0 scoreline, although Watkins didn’t make an appearance.
Now though, ahead of England’s second group game against Denmark on Thursday, the centre-forward has shared some behind-the-scenes insight into one particular figure from the City squad he knows from the international circuit.
Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Adam Wharton and Curtis Jones of England look on during a training session at Spurs Lodge on June 05, 2024 in London, En…
Opening up in a recent Q&A video shared on the England national team’s YouTube channel, Watkins said this when asked who the biggest joker or prankster is in the Three Lions camp.
He said: “Obviously, Jack’s not here, but Jack is. Whenever he walks into the room you think what’s he going to do?”
Grealish’s personality wasn’t enough to earn him a place in the England squad
For Villa and England, Watkins and Grealish have appeared in 33 games together, racking up six joint goal participations along the way.
Therefore, it’s clear that the striker certainly knows what it’s like to share a dressing room with the City star.
After Grealish was included in Gareth Southgate’s initial 33-man squad for the current tournament, the 28-year-old was one of the seven players to be cut from the final squad that travelled to Germany.
This isn’t the first time a member of the England squad has shared how amusing the City winger is, as Jordan Pickford said earlier this month that Grealish is hilarious without necessarily being intentionally hilarious.
Now that Watkins has highlighted how much of a joker his former Villa teammate is, we feel that it’s a shame the England players don’t have a personality like Grealish with them in Germany for the Euros.
JACK GREALISH
OLLIE WATKINS
Eden HAZARD of Varietes Club de France during the Friendly match between Varietes Club de France and Legendes Nordistes at Stade L’Épopée on Octobe…Photo by Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport via Getty Images
On current form, perhaps Real Madrid’s trident of Vinicius Junior, Toni Kroos and Jude Bellingham could be considered some of the best players in the world.
However, Manchester City have several superstars of their own who fit the bill as well — such as Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Phil Foden to name a few.
Eden Hazard makes bold claim about Kevin De Bruyne
Previously, Hazard has admitted that he watches football for players like De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.
City have 14 players at the European Championship who will be desperate to play a key role in their country winning the coveted trophy.
Eden Hazard feels one of the key reasons why Belgium could win Euro 2024 is because they have the best player in the world at their disposal: De Bruyne.
Hazard told ITV Sport: “I think they have a great chance, they have the best player in the world, so let’s see, to win something, sometimes, you need a bit of luck with injuries and this and that, so they have great chance, they are good.”
Eden Hazard was asked: “Belgium are a very talented side, you alluded to him, Kevin De Bruyne, is he still the key man for you guys?”
Hazard replied: “Of course, he’s the captain, to have him in the team is a bonus.”
When asked why the £54.5 million man is a special player, he said: “I think everyone saw it for the last three years, I don’t even need to say it that he’s special, especially in [the] Premier League, he shows to the world his class. He can make everything, every pass, he can see everything quicker than anyone, faster than anyone, that’s why he’s special.”
The retired winger also praised another Belgian player for Manchester City in Jeremy Doku, who he tipped to have a big future.
Kevin De Bruyne will be delighted to hear such high praise
Having trained and played with Eden Hazard for years, who was one of the best players of his generation, De Bruyne would be flattered to hear such high praise from him.
The former Chelsea superstar was a phenomenon, both for club and country.
Considering De Bruyne entered the European Championship off the back of a difficult season that was riddled by injuries, he would be happy to discover that a legend of the game still has huge faith in his qualities.
For the midfield maestro and Belgium’s sake, Hazard’s kind words give him a confidence boost that has a positive impact on his performances at the tournament.
